Teachers - have you ever taught the same lesson twice to the same class by mistake

[chomalungma]

And if so, what did you do when your pupils told you?
And showed you the worksheet in their book?

Did you

a) Realise your mistake, and either teach a new lesson or do some revision
b) Carry on, ignore your pupils, and do the same lesson?

Because that's allegedly what happened at DS's school recently.

I get why it could happen. Tired teachers, over worked and under pressure.

But when your pupils tell you that they've done this before....

He is studying at home to catch up on the work that this teacher hasn't covered in the past.

He definitely needs to repeat lessons more often, then, to cover the work missed during the first lesson (when appalling behaviour, very possibly from ex teacher's children who know better but can say the right things to convince Mum it's Not My Fault meant that they prevented the entire class from learning it).

He definitely needs to repeat lessons more often, then, to cover the work missed during the first lesson

This was a lesson from a month ago. What's the point in repeating a lesson from a month ago when there are plenty of other things they haven't even been taught.

They were given a test, that the whole class did badly on, because the teacher hadn't covered the work.

when appalling behaviour, very possibly from ex teacher's children who know better but can say the right things to convince Mum it's Not My Fault meant that they prevented the entire class from learning it

Actually - he diligently copied the work off the board and diligently answered the questions in the same worksheet that he answered correctly the previous time.

Because he has been brought up to do the work that the teacher tells him to.

This happened to one of mine few times.

Re-organisation mid year I think to cope with lack of qualified science teacher they had access to - then they had different teachers, then more teacher changes then absences and a succesion of supply teachers.

It's turned out that a section of one of the sciences - had not been covered which means this years GCSE teacher who expected them to have knowledge in area having to cover more.

I'm not sure what I'd do here. Are they a subject specialist, are they an experienced teacher - was having a plan b likely - I get it's less than ideal but going over stuff doesn't hurt it's more if other things aren't being covered.

I don't doubt the teachers at my DC school are doing their best and really want the kids to do well - that's certianly the impression we've got unlike some of my teachers from 20+ years ago so I'd probably support my child with outside work or look at tutors.

It won't do a class any harm to go over again.
I think part of the problem I've seen in schooling is that everything has to be new and exciting and they don't go over things enough imo.

As an English teacher I could always wing a lesson if needed - we could write a story based on the lesson I was about to repeat if that happened to me, or a diary entry from a character’s perspective or whatever. It probably very much depends on the subject.

However, I will never set foot in a classroom again. The demands on teachers and the total lack of accountability for the students for their own behaviour, outcomes and progress has made it absolutely impossible. Relationships have been pushed forward as a central plank of teaching and children seem to expect to be constantly entertained and indulged. I dread to think what will be left of the whole system by the time my own children are in secondary but I can’t imagine many qualified, experienced teachers will be in the profession at all.

*Relationships have been pushed forward as a central plank of teaching and children seem to expect to be constantly entertained and indulged."

Yep.

Relationships have been pushed forward as a central plank of teaching and children seem to expect to be constantly entertained and indulged

I don't expect DS to be constantly entertained and indulged. Far from it.

I do think it's important that teaching is as effective as it can be, and that a teacher has to try to get the best out of their pupils. Effective lesson planning and ensuring that they know what the pupils need to know, what they have and haven't been taught is a key part of that.

You don't need to be an entertaining and indulging teacher to get the best out of a class and to get the pupils to enable their full potential.

I completely agree with you, OP. It’s not that I think you expect this, but that it’s a current prevailing ethos which I think is destroying the whole system.

I do think it's important that teaching is as effective as it can be, and that a teacher has to try to get the best out of their pupils.

Hands up anyone who disagrees

But even if you agree, sometimes teachers balls things up because we’re human.

If you didn’t already hate this teacher you wouldn’t be making such a big deal. From a favoured teacher it would be laughed off or ‘well, it’s good revision’.

So yes, the previous complaints are relevant here.

Yep. Teaching 4 or 5 classes the same subject can easily lead to confusion, especially when you have swapped activities around lessons.

If you didn’t already hate this teacher you wouldn’t be making such a big deal

It's not hating this teacher. I know how incredibly demanding teaching is. I know the pressures and the demands. It's an incredibly difficult job - facing pupils everyday, some who want to learn and others who don't. As well as all the other demands.

It's been very disheartening to hear DS with all his complaints about this class, and his disappointment at not doing well in a subject he was recommended to take.

The positive side is that he has been motivated to learn at home - and this is because he has lost faith in his teacher to teach him what he needs to know for his GCSE.

Unfortunately the teacher has already lost the respect of the class in terms of their teaching ability, and this has just made it worse.

OP, I'll ask again. How do you know this? And how do you know that he diligently copied the work off the board and diligently answered the questions in the same worksheet that he answered correctly the previous time.?

I know that sounds inflammatory but it's a genuine question.

OP, I'll ask again. How do you know this? And how do you know that he diligently copied the work off the board and diligently answered the questions in the same worksheet that he answered correctly the previous time

Because it's in his book. I have seen it.

OK, you have a perfect child. Well done.

Why not get a copy of the SoW and then your DS can make sure he doesn't miss out anything?

Why not get a copy of the SoW and then your DS can make sure he doesn't miss out anything

That's exactly what I have done. I have tried to get him to do it before - but he didn't want to.

Now he is motivated to do that.

OK, you have a perfect child. Well done

TBH, I have a DS who thinks that he should learn from his teachers, instead of having his mum teach him, and hasn't wanted to do any extra learning at home. This has made him realise that he needs to take some responsibility for his own learning outside of school as school can't do everything.

So it's a slightly positive outcome.

OK, you have a perfect child. Well done.

I have children I don't doubt would do this - they are not perfect but been brought up to respect their teachers and to get on with their school work. It's sad that that's not seen as some kind of bare mimimum.

I do think noblegiraffe is correct OP if you had confidence in the teacher this would be a meh stuff happens moment.

It is unfortunate that he's not enjoying what sounds to be a GCSE option choice - but he can still do well.

One of the subjects I took at GCSE and should have loved was marred by teacher being long term sick and the worse class I'd ever sat in the behavior was dire - still got top mark though it put me off doing the suject at A-level though went back as an adult and stuidied it with OU.

Unfortunately the teacher has already lost the respect of the class in terms of their teaching ability, and this has just made it worse.

OP, thank you for answering my other question. Are you willing to answer the above one now that I've asked 3 times please?

You sound very over invested in this.

As you know, students are not there to be spoonfed the curriculum - if behaviour is poor in class, which is often the reason that teachers are described as 'having lost the respect of students', then that is ultimately the responsibility of the students and their parents.

How effective is the school management? What are the behaviour policies like - and are they adhered to by SLT, or do they undermine staff so that they are 'liked' by kids?

My opinion will undoubtedly be coloured by attending Scumbags Comprehensive, South London, as being stabbed in class was more of a concern to me than being given a worksheet twice. It only happened the once, mind, but it was enough for me to say 'bollocks to this' and fuck off to the school library to do my work unmolested instead. Once five of my mates started coming with me, it was noticed and we continued to go there with the knowledge of the HoY until a staff change.

I certainly wouldn't have been moaning to my Mum that the teacher made me do badly on a test or repeated a lesson that wasn't successfully completed in the first place but until that point, doing nothing about it, such as getting on with the work outside school.

I have done this once with a year 9 group in a career of over 20 years. I even gave them the same worksheet as they had done the previous lesson. None of them said anything or even noticed. I only realised when I took their books in and found it glued in twice....

One of our teachers did this. Had the good sense to laugh and then start the lesson he should have been teaching. Didn't get through it all obviously,but what else could he do?