Job Discussion Forums

[007]

Hi every teacher..

What are the signs of a Bad Teacher (in general)?

Here is some bad signs as seen by GreatSchools.net Staff (http://www.theapple.com/benefits/articles/2440-what-makes-a-great-teacher)

1. The student complains that his teacher singles him out repetitively with negative remarks.
2. The teacher is the last one to arrive in the morning and the first to leave in the afternoon. He doesn�t return phone calls or respond to written communication.
3. The student rarely brings work home from school.
4. Homework assignments are not returned.
5. The teacher does not send home frequent reports or communications to parents.
6. The teacher exhibits limited knowledge of the subject he is teaching.
7. Lessons lack organization and planning.
8. The teacher refuses to accept any input from parents

Any thoughts?

[mishmumkin]

Some of those points don't seem valid to me...the teacher doesn't send home frequent reports or communication to parents? Certainly doesn't apply to all ages. I think "frequent" should be defined by the educational institution. For those teaching k-12, sometimes keeping journals for the little ones are more useful, particularly w/ non-native speakers. I used to send home notebooks daily...not always leaving a comment. If a 4 year old wet his pants, started a fight, didn't have a lunch, etc. I would note this along w/ occasionally comments on performance (e.g. Omar read today and he didn't seem to understand the story at all. I'll read with him again on Tuesday after he's able to practice a bit at home). Of course, these comments varied, depending on the fluency of the parent. I was only able to do this because I had a full-time assistant in the classroom. I think it's reasonable to get end-of-term reports, and possibly a mid-term report.

I think all the points listed above were written by parents. And I dare say, I think this was written by parents in the Middle East.

I think a good teacher
-has strong classroom management skills.
-pays attention to the dynamic between students (esp for K-12 and bullying).
-isn't afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out for you." (good for an odd-grammar question that might catch you off guard).
-starts the year off strict. You can always go strict to not-so-strict. It's almost impossible to go the other way.
-is willing and able to adapt and change lesson plans based on how they're received.

-

[007]

[mishmumkin]

Duh....I need more coffee. Well, let's do this:
I think the teacher in me prevents me from saying "bad" so let's go with "needs improvement"?

I think a teacher who does the following really needs to work on their skills:

-doesn't have strong classroom management skills.
-doesn't pay attention to the dynamic between students (esp for K-12 and bullying).
-is afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out for you."
-doesn't start the year off strict. You can always go strict to not-so-strict. It's almost impossible to go the other way.
-isn't willing and able to adapt and change lesson plans based on how they're received.

[lall]

Here's my two bits' worth.

Bad teacher: One who isn't thorough with the subject being taught and makes allowances for not being thorough by being friendly with the students or by imagining that the students couldn't be expected to know better.

There's a difference between thorough and being perfect. If you've been teaching the same subject for many years, it's possible to be thorough. If not, it's time for a refresher course.

Now, let me brace myself for some flak.

The quality of English of many posters here isn't upto the mark. Note that all posters may not be English teachers. Yet, it distresses me to observe the casual approach towards correct English, in these fora.

If this attitude spills over into the classroom, I'm sure we may have students, who, after joining a medical transcription firm, would make bloopers, bloopers which could impact on some poor patient.

If the law of what goes around comes around is true, the poor patient could be you.

[007]

[Tom Le Seelleur]

Being a bad teacher or an ineffective teacher includes the following:
1. Vague goals
2. Context is unclear
3. No sense of purpose
4. Students unclear what they should be learning
5. Resources forgotten
6. Inappropriate strategies
7. Students passive
8. Activities are of dubious purpose
9. Students lack interest
10. Too long
11. Too fast
12. No checking of learning
13. Too much content
14. Too thin
15. Flat or distant
16. Poor rapport
17. Unaware of student need
18. Group dynamics inhibit learning

[lall]

TS,

Crikey! That's a long one!

I hope my comment does not sound like something Eve said when she first saw Adam.

[007]

[cmp45]

[veiledsentiments]

[cmp45]

Maybe we should add this to the list of a what makes a "bad" teacher

Not being able to distinguish between pedagogical terminology

[007]

[cmp45]

Well thanks for clearing that up!
We can be a picky bunch on this board so you better be clear in what you say!

[nomel]

BAD TEACHER! Is this Korea? You are either a 'Good teacher' or a 'Bad Teacher'! Ahhhh, brings back fond memories.