What makes you decide that your DCs teacher is good or poor?

[2kidsintow]

Just asking because my friend and I have a completely different view on the teacher they had last year.

My DD loved her and flourished in her class. She was stretched in her work and rewarded for her good work/behaviour with praise, trips to the headteacher and housepoints and certificates. The teacher knew my DD well. My DD wanted to keep her forever.

My friend thinks she is a rubbish teacher. She complains that her DD lost her cardigan repeatedly and was often sent out wearing a coat, but without it buttoned up. She felt her DD was not given housepoints often enough unless she raised it with the teacher.

As a teacher myself, it makes me wonder what different people use to judge/decide whether they think their child's teacher is good or not.

That's the thing though isn't it. Some children do better with some teachers and not so well with others. Plus some parents have different expectations of what teachers should be doing.

As a teacher I would not think it my responsibility to sort out coats! But then I tend to teacher Year 5 and 6! However, even when my DC were in Reception I expected them to take responsibility for their own coat.

Whether the teacher gets my dc. Yr 1 was dreadful because the teacher said at every parents' evening she had never taught a child like my ds (ie she just didn't understand what motivated and interested him and even though I told her, nothing changed). Yr 2 was great as the teacher completely gelled with ds (although it took until the first half term). Yr 3 (current yr) is the worst yet. Teacher doesn't seem to like children (one pupil has been moved to another school and others are contemplating doing the same). She doesn't like ds at all and shows it. The fact that others have complained makes me feel a bit better as in yr 1 everyone raved about the teacher, whilst ds had rough time.

I go by...

does my Dc like them?
do they 'know my Dc'? (know when they are upset, make insightful comments at parents evening etc)
if I make a comment to the listen or go on the defensive?
are they approachable?

I've not liked 2 of my DCs teachers
one of them I went to when my bright previously engaged DC1 changed teachers in september and within a week wasn't wanting to go to school, I left it a couple of weeks for her to settle into the new teacher before I spoke to the teacher and teacher described her as a daydreamer who wasn't interested in the work (she was actually bored stupid)
other one I didn't like spent lots of time trying to be the children's friend
said DD2 while capable in maths seemed to be distracted. I asked DD about it and the response I got was....
'maths is right before lunch so I'm usually hungry and want my lunch by then!'
apparently this had been going on weeks before teacher had said anything and was fixed overnight by me sending a snack in for play time -doh!

I have very little time for ds's teacher. Reasons include:
homowork not marked for 6 weeks
nicknames for the children in the class
calling children muppet or numpty
making sarcastic comments to children - he calls it building a rapport, I call it unnecessary

Someone who likes and respects kids. Then someone who knows what they are doing (eg. doesn't teach them the wrong "facts", thats you DDs Chemistry teacher).

It does depend very much on the child and the teacher and the parent. I've had for me and my children, teachers who haven't lived up to their reputation, and the other way round too. Also when two dc's have had the same teacher (at different times) they've had different experiences.

For example my dc have had one teacher who tells you exactly as it is. Straight and fairly blunt but said in a caring "how can we do something about this" way. I like that because I then know that when they praise they mean it. Some people struggle with being told any negatives about their child and then they find her difficult. Generally most parents end up loving her, but those that don't really don't. I haven't yet met a child who she's had that doesn't think she's great either.

The main teachers I've had issues with has been when they have been blatently unfair. That is, very clearly from facts (or in front of me) not the children complaining. When you speak to the teacher they go sweet as honey and offer platitudes that they don't carry through.

If my child is happy/engaged in that teacher's class and making good academic and social progress, that is a good teacher. Lots of teaching styles and personalities can make this happen, IMO.

I think the main requirement is a genuine interest in the children they are teaching. DD1 has so far had two great teachers and one average one. The reason I would say she was average was that everything felt like a tick box exercise rather than a genuine interest. If a child could do something, they were not stretched on to something else, just given endless sheets of colouring in....
Having said that, my friend's dd, who had been somewhat "challenging" in reception, came on in leaps and bounds with her, so it is definitely true that some children thrive more with one teacher than another but for varying reasons.

I'm sure your friend had deeper concerns than her DCs cardigan. I would guess that the crux is the issue about not having enough housepoints.

For myself, the issue is whether the teacher has identified the learning needs of my child and found a way to motivate my child. Not all children learn in the same way and are often not rewarded by the system that has been set up by the teacher.

If my child(and the class as a whole) is making not just adequate but good /excellent progress.

If the teacher has excellent discipline skills and subject knowledge thus fostering a good working atmosphere.

If the teacher makes all children flourish and rewards all not just a chosen few and those with behaviour problems.

Teachers that listen to parents and actually do what they say they're going to do instead of just coming out with waffle.

Teachers who actually follow through systems they set up that look great on paper.

Teachers who have consistent good/excellent communication with parents.

All the above are crucial imvho.

Ex teacher here so I admit I have tough standards.It's funny though but so far I've noticed it's often the quiet, unassuming, non arrogant teachers who just get on with the job minus a fanfare and are open to consistently learning themselves(ie don't think they have nothing further to learn as a professional)that seem to be the best.

I love ds3's P1 teacher. She is quite "old school", Takes no nonsense and insists on good manners and behaviour. She is quite strict but knows each child inside out and IMO brings out the best in each of them. Ds loves her and is always keen to do his very best for her. However I know, for the very reasons I like her, other parents don't.

Ds1's P1 teacher on the other hand did not "get" him at all. She suggested he would behave better in school if we disciplined him properly at home. I suggested having him assessed for sn but was told it "was nothing like that". Two years later he was diagnosed with ADHD. I'm trying to avoid her now for ds3.

We have had some great teachers over the years.

I assume they are good until/unless there is any evidence to the contrary.

It wasn't so much the teacher as the teaching assistant that decided things for me - that we needed to switch schools. She was rude and sarcastic to DH when he took DD into school and another day, as we were walking into school I opened the door to let DD in, and the TA snatched the door out of my hand and slammed it in my face . I should have complained but by that time I'd pretty much had enough of a school where DD came out every day in tears. I think the problem was that both the teacher and TA were nearing retirement age and had both had enough of teaching reception year children. Not really the right attitude to have. DD's new school couldn't be more different.

Last year I liked DS's teacher. Largely because she made him write in sentences and his English improved enormously. She had to work very hard and put in loads of effort to achieve this. She managed to get through to him that English is important and that he needed to be able to write in order to get on in life.

A friend's mum disliked her, said she ignored her DD, was far too strict and didn't differentiate work, leaving her DD coasting all year on a table where she could be lazy and not at all challenged.

Teachers have an impossible task pleasing everyone and in general I think they are brilliant.

I agree with Bramshott and the poster that said a good teacher tells it straight to parents. I particularly liked DS's yr1 teacher as she was clearly a very clever, intuitive woman and knew how do deal with the DCs and the parents. The DCs all loved her and she seemed very fond of all of them. They did lots of seemingly silly, fun things (which were obviously educational) but some of it was fairly highbrow stuff dressed up as a bit silly so they loved it. They all progressed frighteningly well.

I have liked all his teachers though, and so has he. This years seems fine although a bit frosty but she has come out of herself recently and DS and I like her. The stuff he's doing seems a bit more "dry" but I suppose that's the difference between yr1 and yr2...maybe not though...

• teacher appears to like & respect the children
• child is happy & wants to go to school
• child is challenged appropriately and is making good progress
• curriculum/activities are varied, interesting, relevant & creative
• classroom environment is positive & nurturing
• behaviour is good & kids respect the teacher
• kids are encouraged to help & learn from each other
• teacher knows each child well, and cares about the whole child, not just the grades
• teacher is fair & doesn't show favouritism
• teacher's expectations are clear to children
• feedback is encouraging & constructive, and easy for the child to see where they can improve
• teacher works in partnership with parents to achieve best outcomes for the children

Luckily, we have had some great teachers so far, according to my criteria above. But there will always be some parents who find something to complain about.

A good teacher is someone that my dc want to and would choose to spend 6 hours a day with.
Recognises my dc's strengths and encourages them to flourish
Recognises my dc's weaknesses and encourages them to flourish
Can communicate with me and dh about our dc.

Yes this is all about my and me, and that's due to realising that one teacher is not going to be liked/reacted to by every parent and child. But if a teacher does the above for me they are a good teacher.

This year we have good teachers

My DD has 2 teachers, on a jobshare. Mrs A seems to be there to collect her paycheck and nothing else, when I asked her extra help with a particular type of curcive hnadwriting that DD was struggling with, she suggested I print something off the internet. Mrs B really puts her to shame, goes the extra mile, has DD in stitches, has given her so much confidence. I don't get to see what goes on in the classroom, but the difference in DD on Mrs B's working days is remarkable.

I like and respect my child's teachers (there are two per class) because when we go to meet them, they have already identified the same problems/areas of concern that we have and are making suggestions as to how they can be tackled or have already put a plan of action in place. They seem to really 'get' our child and have a good professional and personal understanding of her ie they know what stimulates her as an individual and have the professional skills and techniques to motivate and encourage.

Respect and kindness for dc, good discipline, marking homework, etc etc all go without saying.