On the topic of teachers, I think it is important for teenagers to start taking charge of their learning regardless of the teacher. This is an important skill for college and grad. school. Maybe the teacher is lousy, but kids can learn to follow the rules and get the grade while doing their real learning. Of course, this advice does not apply to abusive situations and if most of the classes your child is taking are like this, it's time to look for a new learning environment.