Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Lousy teacher

This is a parochial school. The "administration" really is a principal who handles both the HS and grade school. Her real interest is sports, and the place is essentially a Sports Academy.

I just haven't had much personal experience with the whole "rah rah school" stuff; didn't attend one ever. I'm more in favor of schools doing educational stuff and leaving the YMCA or local clubs, etc., to running sports heavy all the time.

The only positive I'm seeing is that there's a community at the school of people who get along well; kids who are vastly better behaved than their public school peers: I've run into the parents at the public schools and just can't match them, tattoo for tattoo, piercing for piercing.

The teacher who's crap is basically into uplifting the kids who are behind, and letting the others sit on the shelf.

My son didn't learn anything new all year. If anything, the teacher's lousy communications strategy generated vast resentments of school and schoolwork on his part.

Or the teacher is just fine for most kids and is a poor fit for yours.


It sounds like this is possibly the case. The principal's goals and priorities for this school don't align with yours, and the teacher is teaching to those that are behind, possibly consistent with the principal's goals for the school.

I've been told by our principal that I need to write a letter each year describing the type of teacher and classroom environment my kids need. A lot of "good teacher" "bad teacher" stuff comes from a quality of fit to the child. We've had good years (though not great) with teachers that other parents despise, and I'm still wondering how certain parents could think one teacher we had was anything but detrimental to all children in her class.

Some parents see a lack of communication as "no news as good news." I see DD's 5th grade teacher's constant email updates as encouraging helicopter parenting. A lot of how we see teachers is a matter of perspective.

Of course, there are amazing teachers that hit it right for all kids, and lousy ones that fail everyone, but I'm beginning to think they are more rare than internet chat groups would make out.

Agreed. I'm applauding, actually.

Frank discussion with parents whose opinion we trust has really opened our eyes there-- because the teacher that my DD had the MOST trouble with in terms of communication/expectations is someone that both of her HG boys have loved dearly.

On the other hand, the teacher that my DD lovingly calls "The Barracuda" and is seriously attached to...

their boys dread and avoid. We like them as a family, our kids are good friends, and really, they are just different in many ways as learners. The family even has quite similar values. We often have EXACTLY the same complaints about curriculum matters (which teachers don't control).

Some of it is truly the parent and student and how that meshes with the individual teacher's style.

Oh-- but the horrific biology teacher? Yeah-- they were appalled by her, too. So there are teachers that are really toxic for an entire group of learners (in this case, highly capable ones), but mostly this kind of thing is explained by interpersonal differences in style, flexibility, and expectations.

Since the school year is almost over , i really don't see any point complaining about the lousy teacher .

I am experiencing the same problem , i've mentioned to the principal during our conference that maybe our son and the teacher isn't the right fit . But the principal kept telling me that teacher and DS is 100% perfect fit . Which i don't see it at all . Because my school loving son has turned into someone who hates school now . Because of this year's teacher , DS doesn't like school anymore .

What i am afraid of if you go on ahead and complain about that particular teacher , they will make things even harder for your child in the coming school year . This is something to think about before you go on and complain about that teacher .