secondaery teachers-do you think you really know your students?

fizzbuzz what makes you think the teachers haven't been told? They have, more than once - but their coursework gets done, their grades will be OK and the teachers don't care. Easier just to pretend you don't see it.

As for being cynical - product of the teachers I've met recently. When I was at school my head teacher certainly knew everyone well and teachers knew how to manage a class. The one teacher who recognises what my children are like is also one who has been teaching a long time.

I feel I know a fair amount about all the children I teach, and some of them I know really well.
Some children aren't keen to be 'known' in great detail - and that needs to be respected.

LOL at the poster who whines about her 'polite' children misbehaving in an underhand way. Perhaps she needs to speak to her own children rather than whinge on MN.
As was pointed out, it's impossible to teach effectively while watching every child in the class in detail for the whole hour of the lesson - and that's true of a class of 15 as well as a class of 30. If a child wants to surreptitiously get their mobile out under the desk, they will. Unfortunately, some children aren't interested in trying to regulate their own behaviour at all, and often this is linked to having parents who don't promote self regulation. It's easier to blame the teacher for the fact that your child is rude and lacking in self control than actually addressing the root of the problem

I teach 'A' levels only and teach about 100 students a week - so I certainly know the basic facts about all of them. For some, who want to reveal more I could tell you their siblings, homelife, what they want to do at uni, and where they want to go, religious beliefs (but then I teach religion) and ethical views... but then other students are much more private and wouldn't reveal so much information about themselves, and that is fine too. Despite knowing one heck of a lot of information about some students, I know that I only ever know one side of them, that they can be very different outside of college, with friends, at home etc...

I teach sen and make a point of knowing them as I feel it helps me understand them.....
I probably have 125 kids that I have four times a week.
And I KNOW when phones, mp3' are on. Sometimes I choose to ignore the rude children who openly flout the rules.....

I think its part of working in a school, as a teacher or support staff. It's like currency in a way. The more you know about a child, the more respect you seem to get from them! Knowing what football team they support is a great way in! If you bump into them in the corridor and can say, 'good result yesterday Jonny!' or 'how did the dance comp go then Lily?' then they tend to respect you even more! I bank an snippet of information I can and it works wonders!

Well if thy are doing that in lessons then I wouldn't call them paticularly polite, as this would show disrespect imo.

It is impossible to watch a class of 30 kids every single second, so therefore impossible to police evey sneaky picture or novel . Don't think anyone has actually written a novel in my lesson as this would take an extremey long time, and they are usually fully occupied with coursework...

Perhaps you could help the teachers by informing them what you polite children get up to rather than blaming the teacher

I suppose that is a reflection of the subject I teach and the fact we do a lot of discussion work. I know what his parents do for a living, what his political and religious views are, his views on lots of ethical and moral issues.

I certainly dont know him in the waya friend or parent would but know a fair deal about him.

Sorry - I mean I'm sure they would be horrified at the idea.

No. I 'get' kids generally, I think, but I certainly wouldn't claim to 'know' them individually and I'm sure then would be horrified at the idea.

my children's teachers may think they know them but they do not do so at all. I have superficially polite children who I'm told are hard-working but quiet. Under the teachers' noses they draw pictures, write novels, listen to MP3 players and despise the teachers who let them get away with it.

Teachers see what they wish to see, because its easier for them, half the time.

ggirl was it the thread about a book a student had recomended me.

i taught english, so saw most pupils about 3 hrs a week, and lots of discussion, so know them quite well. there are others i'd only see once a week, and didn't know them so well
also, form group, knew really well.
lots of my 'facebook' friends are pupils i taught, and i always leave it to them to contact me, so i kinda feel that shows they think i knew them as well.

i think any caring teacher is there cos they know the pupil, and will get to know about them.

some pupils you know more about than the parents do.

There are definitely some families you get to know much quicker than others!

What pointy dog said. I'm new at my school and haven't yer pieced together all the family relationships and connections. But I will. I sat next to a senior teacher at parents evening andhe knew everyone - taught some of the parents!

lol pointy, is true

I teach SEN and know all the kids on the SEN register very well. However I also teach about 100 kids in mainstream classes and I know them less well. I could tell you about thier ability and attitude but some of them I wouldn't know much more tbh.

This will depend a lot on how long the teacher has been at the school. They soak up this sort of information. Through their pores.

My DP bumped into the head of the DSSs' school last week (a French collège that goes from 11 to 15).

Headteacher knows loads about DSSs - this is in a school of 700+ pupils.

I know the pupils I teach very well on the whole, especially the Key Stage Four pupils, including religion, family details and musical tastes for a lot of them! However, I am also HOY of about 170 pupils and there are still some whose names I don't even yet know properly I'm afraid.

I teach 300 kids per week so no I dont know them well at all!

KS3 I know the naughty/chatty ones but I know all my GCSE and A level students well.

Its nigh impossible to know each student especially as I only see them once a week.

can anyone link to the thread the ops referring too.

I think a good teacher will pretty much suss out a kids background by the first half term to be honest.