boring teachers

What should i do about my daughters boring math teacher? She has lost interest in the subject because her teacher does not motivate and make the subject interesting. And he is also her art teacher. should I talk to the principal? Thanks for your comments.

Talking to the principal is a good idea. It's one reason why they are there.

Two of her classmates have the same complaint. I do not know about other students as I have not talked to them. And I found it serious enough to post it here since she never complained like this before. I met the teacher before since he is my daughters class adviser and have the same feeling as my daughter.

Leave a paper trail, for the principal's sake as well as yours: it will be much easier for him to fire the teacher later if he can show his governors a pile of complaint letters.

Thanks Burgundy for your comments. I always look forward to your replies as they are so helpful and will follow your advice.

I think we all have had our fair share of teachers who are boring. However, complaining about a teacher being boring is a little over the top I would think. The most important thing is whether the teacher is following the subject's syllabus. If so, a lot comes down to the indvidual student having the discipline and will to remain concentrated and focused on the subject, which ultimately will result in the student performing well.

Just for the sake of clarity, I was assuming in my reply that this is a fee-paying school. If that is the case, I think one can reasonably set one's expectations a little higher than the teacher simply "following the syllabus".

Part of a teachers role is to cater for all learners in their class.. if this teacher is not doing this then they are not doing their job....(from a teacher rather than someone who thinks they know what teaching is all about)

It is impossible for a single person to cater to the individual needs of 35 (or more) people during a single lesson period. As a teacher, of course you try to make learning meaningful and interesting for students. However, you are obliged to follow a set curriculum. Lessons may be modified around this curriculum, however at the end of the day, you are responsible to ensure that you have taught this material to all of the children in the class.

Therefore, that doesn't leave much time to entertain kids who are "bored"! Of course there should be extra work available for children who finish their assignments ahead of the others, and possibly supplementary classes after school in which more challenging work is encouraged. However if your daugher attends a gov't school, then the teachers are worked pretty hard so I don't blame him or her for not doing cartwheels while solving mathematic problems.

It is not a teachers job to entertain kids, or to raise them instead of their busy parents.

Do you work? Would you like somebody coming into your office to complain that you aren't enthusiastic enough?? Are you sure that your daughter is genuine or simply doesn't like this teacher for whatever reason. Instead of trying to get somebody fired based on being boring?? Why don't you ask the principal of the school to sit in during lessons to assess the effectiveness of this teacher's lessons.

Talk to your child first. "What" does she find boring? Is there something specific? Then approach the teacher FIRST, rushing off to the principal doesn't allow the teacher right of reply. Tell them your concerns, ask them for advice, highlight the fact you are worried about your daughter. Wondering also - Is your child using the "boring" routine as a way out? TALK TALK TALK, don't make it personal.

Well said Tangerine.

Burgundy,


Your points are noted and it's great to hear that your son really enjoys Shakespeare.


I don't have an affinity with teachers, all I am saying is give them a fair go. Don't forget they are dealing with 30 odd kids each class (who knows how many classes they have each day). You cannot expect them to "entertain" every single one of them, especially when you are trying to teach algebra or calculus. Their primary objective is teaching the syllabus in an effective manner, if that manner results in the kids being entertained, then that’s a plus. However if it’s a tad boring, then so be it (it’s not the end of the world). Teachers have a hard enough job as it is, give them a break.

What has happened to your daughter's grades? Have they dropped? Are they stable - there are some fectes of all subjects that teachers need to cover that are not stimulating to some sts.


I would not recommend going to the principal yet. Speak to the teacher first. Find out what is going on in class.


At the end of that day it's the teacher that has to provide interesting lessons that cater to a wide range of abilities and interest levels in thir class. That said, I can't think of too many occupations where you are expected to develop such a range of material with so little actual preparation time. Most of the teacher's time is spent delivering that material. In my former job, I had to give a 2 hour presentation - they gave me 1 whole days to prepare it, and they said I could have more! Teachers don't get anywhere near that amount of time during the work day to prepare properly.


I tend to blame the management of the school for a lack of time for teachers to spend making the lessons interesting.


Oh. btw the way the presentation I gave I handed out 'how did I go' type questionairre at the end. Some loved it, others hated it. It takes all types!

Yes, I would speak to the teacher first before going to the Principal. They all stick together and if they don't like your approach they will make life difficult for you and your child. Remember, they are teachers and you are ultimately responsible for monitoring your childs educational and emotional needs. Unfortunately, many teachers are stuck in a time warp and just follow an outdated and 'old fashioned' syllabus from when they were children.

It is not the teachers role to entertain - but it is the teachers role to cater to different learning styles as stated above. A good teacher is able to deliver most things in an interesting way to cater for different learning - visual, auditory, kinesthetic and combinations. They can still do this while delivering the boring curriculum requirements - I am currently preparing a tutorial on this very subject for EMB teachers on authentic learning - how can we as teachers make learning personal for each child? Even though there are 35 in each class - how can we help each of them become in engaged in their own learning?


Why should we put up with boring lessons? There are plenty of resources and resourced based learning modules around for active learning. When children are active in their own learning - they are not bored.

Then it will be great if teacher is a crown and every subject will turn out to be fun :)

Many teachers (esp) in HK believe that the only way and best way to teach is to be teacher centred with the teacher telling the students what they need to know - in 95% of cases the students don't learn anything from this method.


Student centred learning has been shown to be 100% effective - with the teacher being the facilitator of the lesson rather than the leader of the lesson. All subjects have the potential to be taught in an interesting way...even the most boring maths subject!

hmm reporter - your grammar and expression illustrates to me that whatever method your english teacher used didn't work for you.


Burgundy - I find teaching local teachers really hard going because they do not like to communicate with me or the rest of the class - they are not used to class discussion even from a learners point of view - or even small group discussion - or even answering questions that require more thought than regurgitating facts with right or wrong answers.


They seem to scared of getting the answer wrong. After about 3 weeks they trust me enough to contribute a small amount. I find it hard because i plan my lessons to be student centred - but they resist!

...

Fixed! Thanks for pointing it out Burgundy!

Teachers also need to be teachable ;-)

Thanks Tangerine too for the question and challenge - I have taken a while to answer as I am going over what i have learnt through 10 years of formal education in education and another 12 years of practise, and had 3 children with quite severe learning disabilities, as to why I know and believe and have support that student centred learning is 100% effective.


There is a little saying you may be familiar with




"What I hear, I forget.

What I hear and see, I remember a little.

What I hear, see and ask questions about or discuss, I begin to understand.

When I hear, see, discuss and do, I acquire as knowledge and skill."


Student centred learning focuses on the last line.


The debate on student centred education is not a new one - Rogers first put forward the theory in 1951 and has been tried and tested since that time. Gagne has also put forward theories of concept based learning as an effective method of learning along with others. Research has also been conducted on student centred learning in many universities and is now being widely adopted in most universities as the preferred method of teaching - as opposed to the traditional lecture style.


Student centred learning allows students to be engaged and practise different skills in their learning - it allows them to learn how to learn and how to think - so that they not only learn what they need for the curriculum passing exams - but also learn skills that may be useful at another time - in their current situation or later.


If you think about a person learning to play soccer (a high level interest topic currently). A coach can talk to the pplayer until they are blue in the face about the rules, different skills, defence tactics and attack tactics - until the player actually experiences it him or herself and internalises the experience and personalises it - they will never be a decent soccer player. Which is why it takes years of practise to be a World Cup player. They can do as many drills as required in practise but until they play the game, they will not see or understand the need to learn such things.


It is the same as learning anything - the interesting thing about student centred learning and the way it helps students learn is that they can learn at any level, according to what they already know, and what they need to know because it allows them to learn the best way for themselves.


Sometimes drill learning may be seen as necessary - such as times tables - boring and totally uninspiring - I was taught this way and still never figured them out and all of my children could not grasp these timestables until I devised a learner centred approach for them - focussing on active learning and meaningful understanding - over a number of months it is working and they are retaining their times tables. (after years of all trying to learn through the drill method)


Granted some kids respond to drill teaching very well and others to other ways of teaching - but if the student has the opportunity to take on board more than facts and figures when they are learning through their learning being centred on them - they will learn the facts and figures plus much more - and isn't that what we should be aiming for in education?


reporter - you seem to be insinuating that no other school in HK is producing students that go onto university - particularly the 'famous' universities around the world - I do need to disagree with your statement.



There is also research to suggest that the schools who spoon feed their students to pass exams (drill teaching etc) do not do their students any favours when it comes to university academics where they are required to think beyond the box. One of these studies was conducted by the famous universities of OXFORD and Cambridge along with others - a number of links http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/09/nedu09.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/09/ixnewstop.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4694714.stm

unfortunately I cannot access the actual report - if anyoe can - that would be great.