Excellent thread. While all of the items listed may be great attributes to have in a teacher, these attributes may be increasingly difficult to find in public school teachers in the United States.
shut him down because his question did not fall inside the scope of their lesson plans. He even asks me why his teachers do not have access to google or wikipedia so that they can read out the answers to him even if they do not know the subject very well.
So, for a really bright and curious child, a teacher who is a "subject matter expert" and who is willing to spend time to find out answers when they do not know them is very important. I like schools where they hire specialists to teach core subjects.
and
administration can be a big stumbling block for teachers. I have had teachers who will straight out tell me what is in the way of my child getting a more appropriate education
Fortunately or unfortunately, US public schools are seeking to close "the achievement gap" and "the excellence gap" among various demographic groups. This may often mean capping the growth of students at the top. In the United States, public schools, public school administrators, and public school teachers are being evaluated on the basis of closing gaps. There is extensive
data collection, from preschool to workforce to support this measurement. A public school teacher whose class shows gaps may receive a negative evaluation and lose his/her job to a public school teacher who will help close gaps.
This often results in public school teachers being less willing to answer advanced questions, which are beyond the prescribed curriculum.
