How Many of Your Kids’ Teachers are Duds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's teachers are all amazing. The athletic department, however, is a joke and poorly managed which has been frustrating for my kid and others. Parents complain about it, but...silence.

Same. We have yet to encounter a bad classroom or specials teacher (knock on wood) except for PE which has been extremely frustrating.

I attended a small Catholic K-8 outside this area and nearly all my teachers were duds. So I'm not doubting it can happen. But we've been fortunate.

[Anonymous]

1- SSSAS. Worst English teacher ever. Worst teacher ever although she’s had some competition

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like your school may be a dud.

+1, I was going to say "half" until I read your OP. I assumed by "dud" you just meant not great. We've had teachers who were serviceable but not that engaging, some with poor classroom management skills, or who were terrible communicators. Some all of the above.

I feel like about half of the teachers we get are fantastic, and the rest are meh.

I've never encountered a teacher like what OP is describing, who assigns completely inappropriate material or who is unable to generally keep pace with the curriculum such that my kid is prepared for the next year. I have never felt there were substantial gaps from previous years that were hurting my kid in the present year, either. I'd be very displeased to pay private school tuition and see that.

Actually, you know what, I wouldn't accept that at a public school either. Even if not every teacher is a shining star, they should be able to get through 90% of the syllabus adequately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

Rich folks don't flinch at paying $400 per hour for an attorney, but try to make sure that your kids' teacher makes $50 (which would get you some of the best)?

No way. Spend $50K on tuition so your DC can learn from teachers who may not make that much themselves in a year.

It won't change until parents want it to. You get what the school pays for. Same with tutoring services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

Rich folks don't flinch at paying $400 per hour for an attorney, but try to make sure that your kids' teacher makes $50 (which would get you some of the best)?

No way. Spend $50K on tuition so your DC can learn from teachers who may not make that much themselves in a year.

It won't change until parents want it to. You get what the school pays for. Same with tutoring services.

Yes it is strange that the teachers of wealthy students are paid significantly less than the teachers of the middle class, at least in this area. Imagine if professors at Harvard made less than professors at UMass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

Rich folks don't flinch at paying $400 per hour for an attorney, but try to make sure that your kids' teacher makes $50 (which would get you some of the best)?

No way. Spend $50K on tuition so your DC can learn from teachers who may not make that much themselves in a year.

It won't change until parents want it to. You get what the school pays for. Same with tutoring services.

Yes it is strange that the teachers of wealthy students are paid significantly less than the teachers of the middle class, at least in this area. Imagine if professors at Harvard made less than professors at UMass.

I don't know about these specific school, but salaries are often lower at the big name colleges too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

I'll be honest (I'm a teacher). Younger teachers don't take work home. I can see the energy during the day, but there are a lot of loose ends that "my generation" would have taken home. And I'm not ancient by any means. Just an observation, as in many ways some of them are phenomenal teachers, or maybe just manage their time better at work. But they don't do the 60-70 hour a week thing, as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

With a total of 15 years of public school between both of my boys, we only had a dud or two. Mostly everyone else was absolutely wonderful. Howard county public school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

Rich folks don't flinch at paying $400 per hour for an attorney, but try to make sure that your kids' teacher makes $50 (which would get you some of the best)?

No way. Spend $50K on tuition so your DC can learn from teachers who may not make that much themselves in a year.

It won't change until parents want it to. You get what the school pays for. Same with tutoring services.

I teach in a private school. I have 17 years of experience. I have a masters in my content area and I have state certification. I make $34 an hour teaching classes of 17-20.

I can make $75+ an hour tutoring 1 student.

I do wonder why I stay in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Sigh. I should have known better. This is DCUM, after all.

I have 110 students. Most teachers will tell you the job had gotten much harder now that technology is involved. I have 8 weeks off during the summer, and 4 of those weeks are spent in full-day training. I get 6 days off for winter break and another 6 days for spring break. I work through both.

Thanks for playing, through, and thanks for diminishing the challenges of this job. I can’t tell you how demoralizing your comment was.

Teacher - ignore the cluelessness. And - take heart in all the replies saying there were only a few duds over many years of many teachers!! The duds I reported were truly problematic - the school asked them to leave. We love our teachers and greatly appreciated them!!! I could never do their job - it's pathetic that teachers aren't compensated better or valued enough.

Rich folks don't flinch at paying $400 per hour for an attorney, but try to make sure that your kids' teacher makes $50 (which would get you some of the best)?

No way. Spend $50K on tuition so your DC can learn from teachers who may not make that much themselves in a year.

It won't change until parents want it to. You get what the school pays for. Same with tutoring services.

Thanks for the lecture - but teachers are underpaid in public and private - I meant they were undervalued in our society as a whole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In English at our kid’s big-3, the new teachers are phenomenal and the ones that have been there forever are the ones calling it in. Times do change. Teachers need to stay fresh and update materials and methods a little occasionally.

I’m a private high school English teacher. I’m going to be completely honest: this job takes 60-70 hours a week to do WELL. The younger teachers still have energy. I’ve been pulling these hours for 14 years. I’m slowing down and can no longer devote all weekend to commenting on essays and planning new lessons.

Please take a moment this holiday season to thank those phenomenal teachers in your life. What they are doing in the classroom comes at a great personal cost.

Planning should not be too difficult for you after many years? I understand that grading is a huge time suck but don’t you have a total of approximately 60 students? Is it really that bad? Also you get 3 months off in the summer. And another month with winter break and spring break.

Oh, look. Another dim bulb who dismisses what a current teacher tells them and asks “is it really that bad?” while pulling out the tired “sUmMeRs off” line. Pro tip: Having been a student decades ago in no way qualifies you to judge teachers.

NP, parent, not a teacher

[Anonymous]

I can make $75+ an hour tutoring 1 student.

I do wonder why I stay in the classroom.

Yes, but you can't contract tutees for 35 hours a week, and it will cost you time to correspond with families, write invoices, etc. I tutored a little between years of teaching and it was great, but it couldn't make up for the salary and insurance.

[Anonymous]

Another barrier to great teaching is that often, great teachers have great educations. So much of content is being watered down over the last 20 years to make way for skill and drill and test prep, and reading has overshadowed writing to such a strong degree that many teachers really struggle to write. I fear for my kids who are being taught by people who, as kids, were spending as much time as mine do on PARCC prep when they could have been reading actual literature, and writing essays that only got seen by a paid test grader, instead of by their teacher, who gave feedback on multiple drafts.

[Anonymous]

^^ and I don't mean they had elite educations--just that they had good teachers and solid curriculum.