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Original poster

How much difference does a good teacher make

31 replies

rainbowjoy · 28/08/2015 16:40

My Dd has been moved down a maths set for the second year running going into year 10 down. She really hated teacher but unfortunately will have him again in this new set. Whilst I believe she could have worked harder and is of the age where nothing is her fault she is very upset about it. I have tried to explain to head of maths the situation but obviously in a year of 300 kids there is little they can do. They wont let her stay in set above. So my question is how much difference does liking a teacher make.

OP posts:
Millymollymama · 28/08/2015 18:07

Well children cannot pick and choose. I think though that you could perhaps ask for a brief meeting with the teacher with your DD too and try and resolve the problems and start again. If everyone agrees to this of course and assuming your DD is mature enough to participate.

In your post you talked about good teaching. Perhaps if you find out what the attributes of a good teacher are and then see if your DD is being unreasonable and not complying with reasonable requests. If the teacher says your DD should hand in work on a given date and she is late handing in the work the teacher may well be annoyed and expect better of her if this pattern is repeated. She does perhaps need to become less lazy and promise to do her best. I suspect that is what the teacher wants and so should you.

MustTidyUpMustTidyUp · 28/08/2015 18:02

Two different questions. Makes no odds if she likes the teacher. Makes a lot of difference whether or not they are a 'good' teacher.

thecatfromjapan · 28/08/2015 18:00

Can you get a tutor?

I had one teacher who destroyed my confidence in a subject. I went from a 'D' at 'A' level to a "First' at university in that particular subject (a language), so I would say it can make a fairly substantial difference.

I also had a lovely Maths teacher but I just didn't get along with his teaching style. I failed Maths 'O' level ('u'), bought a book, taught myself and re-took it in the Autumn and achieved a 'B'. Sadly, sometimes it just doesn't 'click' with some pupil-teacher pairings. (Obviously, I should have bought a book and read it before I sat the exam for the first time but it just didn't occur to me that that might have been the root of the problem.)

Scarydinosaurs · 28/08/2015 18:00

I would tell her that sometimes not liking the teacher can be a bonus. If she works really hard he or she may only be too pleased to have a decent excuse to move her up sets!

SeaRabbit · 28/08/2015 17:54

I sympathise. Yes we all have to deal with people we don't like later in life, and I can do that now.

I just remember not liking my Latin teacher in 2nd year and getting 28% and coming 28th out of 32 in the exam. I just didn't get Latin. I wanted to drop Latin, but mother insisted I carry on as it was long enough ago for Latin to be an entrance requirement for some universities. The following year, new teacher, whom I liked, 96% & top of the class, and I stayed at the top until I did my O Level.

noblegiraffe · 28/08/2015 16:53

It shouldn't make any difference.

No school should let a student pick and choose which set they are in based on whether they like the teacher. Your DD needs the standard talk about how in life they will meet plenty of people that they don't like but they will have to work with them regardless.