To expect teachers to be clever?

[CJ2010]

I was visiting a friend, who has a 12 year old DC and she was telling me how unhappy she was about the school and her DC's education, or lack of. She showed me her child's workbook that contained comments from the teacher. My friend is getting really concerned because her DC's spelling and grammar mistakes are not being picked up by the teacher. She then told me to have a read through and to take a close look at the teachers comments, I did, and they were littered with spelling errors and poor grammar.

It got me thinking. I know a couple of teachers; we all went to school together and are still mates now. One is a primary school teacher, the other secondary. Both teachers only managed to get a Grade C for Maths at GCSE. One of them also got a few Grade D's in other subjects (not English or Science). IMO, GCSE's are a basic qualification and being taught up to GCSE level only really gives a broad, general knowledge of a subject. If they are only coming out as average / or below at this level, regardless of subject, are they really qualified to educate the next generation? They are not very clever are they?

I fear, that this this average educational ability amongst techers is quite common and wide spread. My DC's have yet to start school, but it is worrying for the future. AIBU?

That rant wasn't aimed at you maxy, just high-fiving your husband!

Sometimes though,applecrumple,if your parent has been involved with eg school governors,and such like,that can make the door more open.That seems to be what I am seeing.

Took me 3 attempts to get a C at GCSE maths.

I'm very clever but I didn't do any work.

I passed the QTS skills tests without difficulty.

As a music teacher, I only need to be able to count to 8 anyway.

Basic errors in spelling and grammar are definitely a problem though, and should always be picked up. It's not just teachers, I am often surprised when people who have degree level education misuse "your/ you're" and "there/ their/ they're." Not people with SEN, incidentally. Unless there's a dyslexia epidemic I'm unaware of?

I'm a teacher

You can get a third in your degree in whatever the flying fuck you like that you got onto with DS and Es at GCSE and 2 Es at a-level in the most rubbish university in the league table and still get a place on a PGCE which teaches you teaching and not your subject. Many teachers do not fall into that category but some do and they're damaging.

It annoys me when people assume the current teacher training process guarantees quality and that primary teachers need to be less qualified academically. The system needs improving hugely.

YANBU - it's basic stuff. I'm with cory. If you can't do it, you can't do the job. If you can then it doesn't matter whether you're dyslexic, blind or green with pink spots.

I don't want teachers to be clever, I want them to be (highly) competent in the skills relevant to their job. Which of course include spelling and grammar.

When I was a school, I had some brilliant teachers and some shockingly awful ones. The difference was obvious. As kids get older they do realise and they will become frustrated if they know that the teacher is unable or unwilling to enable them to fulfil their potential. It's such a shame.

OP, a teacher will either have a BEd or a degree in the subject they are trained to teach (or one closely related to it) and a PGCE . A primary school teacher can have a degree in any subject but must have an A-level in one of the primary curriculum subjects (AFAIK).

One of the requirements for my PGCE course was that you had a 'C' in maths & English at GCSE. I assume this is the same for all courses.

Please don't think that all teachers are stupid, as with any profession there are some with outstanding qualifications and some with, er, acceptable qualifications. There will be some who are very good and some who are not. In my experience the vast majority of teachers are well qualified (with good GCSEs, A-levels and degrees) who could have gone into a wide variety of careers but chose teaching.

When I was 8 my teacher told me I was wrong when I said a bat was a mammal.
I took in my encyclopedia of animals and showed him as the fool he was. hahaha

There are some ill-qualified teachers. Some of these will actually be pretty inspirational - maybe more so than those with many qualifications. Problems with literacy or numeracy when teaching should be picked up and addressed by schools so that these teachers can teach effectively.

However, I would say the vast majority of teachers I have come across have been very intelligent.

As for people saying "who would want to go into teaching when they have good qualifications?" - I attended a top independent school and I would say out of 75 girls, a good 10% (including myself) are now trained teachers. The rest seem to be accountants and doctors!

Hmm, I had a colleague studying for a phd who was dyslexic. He used to correct my work and give comment on my report which were totally unreadable at times due to poor grammar and spelling. But he was awfully cleaver.
So, I wonder if it is to do with not caring enough and not paying enough attention to detail when marking your child's work, or something they cannot help like dyslexia.

In terms of ur comment re. C grade, I kind of agree. I too have friends who are teachers (science and English) and my math, science and English are better than theirs. But I earn more than them at the moment. (will be ostracised for this remark).
I think the marking if spelling etc counts. Being average of intelligence is okay for teaching as long as they motivate, inspire, etc etc.

Dyslexics should not become primary school teachers.

I taught for several years.

I taught maths, I am very well qualified - however my spelling is very very weak.

I was able to do well in exams because lots of it was course-work and by degree and PGCE level it was all word-processed.

My poor spelling shames me.

However I could teach maths very well, I encouraged my students to point out my errors to me and whilst such an approach would be frowned on by many, for me it helped build strong relations with my students.

In a few (limited) roles I do think that being a good teacher outweighs poor spelling, I also think that 1980's state education let down many who are teachers now.

Bonsoir, I sincerely doubt you would be able to identify them if they did. They don't walk around with big flashing signs over their forehead or use a special handshake, you know?

Ouch, that's a bit off!
Teachers need to be skilled and competent in the areas they teach and should have good grammar as well. Reports, review, essays - however they are termed need to be written in the correct way regardless of the subject being studied is English, French, Geography or History.
My point regarding GCSE grades was summed up by Frakiosaurus. They are the stepping stone onto the required A levels which are in turn the foundations for a degree.

• be it English etc, not is

I think as someone said earlier here. Emotional IQ is more important than intelligence.

True, I'd be a flipping awful teacher as I am far too impatient as well.

Why not Bonsoir?

Exam results are only an indication of a persons ability to pass exams

75% of the millionaires in the UK are dyslexic

And rubbish, bonsoir!

Really, bejeezus?!

Getting English spelling correct is not a sign of intelligence.

Bonsoir surely you are trying to inflame?