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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]On what basis do you think the teacher is unqualified? Surely the hiring process at the school would have revealed something about the teacher’s training and experience. Your school may also have been having difficulty hiring.Perhaps this teacher isn’t the best, but he is the one they were able to get.

Remember that curricula are chosen to teach the greatest number of children well most of the time. Remember also that individual teachers, especially new hires, do not choose the curriculum, an expensive multi-year investment. The success of a new teacher also depends on how well a school keeps its curriculum map updated and how well teachers within a department are able to plan and coordinate together (something which depends on the schedule that admins create for faculty). A lot of teachers who appear to be doing poorly are just in crummy settings. I saw it myself inside a “Big 5” school.

As an educator I’m also quite wary of the phrase “doesn’t teach.” Anything new or different from other teachers often draws this criticism. Students often level it when teachers appropriately try to make them more responsible for good work habits. Also, there’s a big difference between a “bad teacher” and one who’s not the best fit for a particular student.

It’s early in the year. Focus on teaching your kid good study skills and being responsible for him/herself. Start a dialog with the teacher, but accept that you may have different points of view.[/quote]

Many teachers have very little control over their curriculum (others much more, my preference).  It's possible this teacher was mandated to give out assignments and quizzes for "self-directed learning" to build independence and resilience in students and all that.

Or maybe he's just lazy as you suspect.

I would meet with the teacher first to get his take on your concerns, and then the dean if necessary, if the first meeting doesn't work.

[b]Find out what's going on before drawing conclusions.  And remember that students often caricature teachers when telling their parents about them.  Get the whole story[/b].[/quote]

This, and when you approach the school - instead of complaining, ask questions about what the expectations are for someone teaching that class and how much freedom teachers have to deviate from one another if multiple teachers teach the same class in different sections.  Also, if the teacher doesn't seem to match the expectations given by your school, ask whether the school is providing the teacher support to help in their transition.  If you think a teacher is unqualified now, it doesn't mean that that don't have what it takes to be a great teacher (in the mold of what is typical in your school) with some support and direction to help them get there.  I know it's not fun to be the guinea pig kid while the teacher is on the learning curve - but every teacher started new at some point (or tried something new along the way).  Your school and the teachers will be healthier if you work to make sure teachers are getting the support they need vs piling on complaints.
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