What can you do about a bad teacher?

[hosnav]

My daughter started Year 10 nine weeks ago. She has a teacher who's new to the school for Physics and Chemistry and the teacher is a Chemistry specialist. Within a couple of lessons my daughter was telling me that the teacher is very hard to understand. She sets the children tasks in their textbooks without explaining them first, and they are expected to ask if they don't understand. So essentially self teaching with an assistant on hand in case they get stuck. My daughter has also said that when the teacher does explain, she does so in a way that is very difficult to follow. My daughter has had As and above in all the Sciences up until now so it just doesn't make sense that she'd suddenly not be able to understand. I left it a month and then emailed the Head of Science with my concerns. My daughter said their was an immediate improvement in both the structure of the lessons and in the level of support they were being given. We are now a month further on, and my daughter is telling me it's still very hit or miss - some lessons are OK and others are very confusing. I want to contact the school again but I just don't know what they can actually do to help. There clearly was some kind of intervention which made the teacher change tact in the short term, but now standards are slipping again. I just think there is so much content in the Sciences, if the teaching is inconsistent my daughter is going to be so disadvantaged. What can I do??

@TheSeedsOfADream

Her first parent teacher meeting isn't until early December. I have to admit I went to the Head of Department, not the teacher as it did sound to me like a managerial issue. The teacher is also my daughter's tutor and I'd emailed her on four separate occasions about tutee related information and hadn't received a single reply, which was also a factor in deciding not to deal with it directly with her.

I had a similar thing to what you describe for my son in Maths. He'd had the same teacher from Y7 to Y10 and always had an A. First term with a new teacher and he dropped down to a B and was given a similar explanation. We're now a Term further on and he's back up to an A, so hard to tell where the truth lies!

@SansaSnark good to know thanks.

There’s a lot of content to cover in the Science GCSEs and it does get harder in Year 10. I would definitely get in touch with the school again, whether your daughter is struggling with the work or whether it’s the teaching, it needs addressing.

Some of the teaching my son had at GCSE wasn’t great, he used CGP books and BBC Bitesize and it was better than the teaching so I’d get your daughter to use those.

[quote hosnav]@TheSeedsOfADream

Her first parent teacher meeting isn't until early December. I have to admit I went to the Head of Department, not the teacher as it did sound to me like a managerial issue. The teacher is also my daughter's tutor and I'd emailed her on four separate occasions about tutee related information and hadn't received a single reply, which was also a factor in deciding not to deal with it directly with her.

I had a similar thing to what you describe for my son in Maths. He'd had the same teacher from Y7 to Y10 and always had an A. First term with a new teacher and he dropped down to a B and was given a similar explanation. We're now a Term further on and he's back up to an A, so hard to tell where the truth lies![/quote]
So true!
DD got a "barely sufficient" in their first test, so am waiting out the next one to see what happens and hoping I won't have to fork out for a tutor!

In my school, it's my job to support colleagues to improve their teaching amongst other things. Most schools will have someone in my sort of role.
Do contact the head of science and be specific about the issues. You say things improved for a while so say that too. No one wants to be letting a student down.

Contact them again and explain your concerns again.

Poor teaching can not be judged by a student's say so. But likewise, clearly there is not a relationship there with the teacher or at least not one where you feel like speaking to her -I'd email again -and explain it's concerning you and ask to speak to the Head of Science and also the teacher again.

Regarding lack of replies to emails about tutor stuff. Was it you emailing "Josie needs to go to the dentist at 3pm on Friday" fact -teacher emails it on to admin and doesn't actually need to respond. Or "Josie is concerned about Amelia in class. Can I discuss with you ways to help Josie?" kind of things -an actual question that needed an answer.

If it was the a latter. I would copy and paste ALL 4 emails together and email the head of pastoral care etc and say "Please see below -4 emails to Mrs X teacher and no reply -could you please explain the school policy as I want to have good parent / school communication and it seems to be one way -as you can see there is no reply to my questions".

Also tread carefully, teachers like most of us are under HUGH pressure right now, with no PPE etc, the last thing you want is teacher off on long term sick and a cover teacher in the room giving supply work.

If she is a "bad" teacher -moving her elseswhere will not help the school or the pupils -it just moves the problem.

BTW, I know a newly qualified teacher in DD is by FAR the best teacher so the amount of years teaching has no bearing -on their ability to teach.

@Nailgirl yes, they were more information sharing emails. For example, we were told school had a new caterer for lunch so I emailed to inform the tutor of my DD dietary requirements and could she please make sure the new canteen know - no response. Most other teachers send a quick acknowledgement even if it is just information sharing.
Yes, I do agree that sometimes NQTs are very competent. However, I do think someone who is less of a natural can get better over time.

Interesting turn of events today. My daughter was randomly chosen as part of a group of 10 students to go and talk to the Head Teacher about how school is going so far this term and all the other students brought up this teacher and how her lessons make no sense. My daughter was shocked and I guess relieved that she is not the only one struggling. I guess this will also impact the approach they take with the teacher, now that so many kids have shared the same impression.

Unfortunately not all teachers are amazing. My dd also goes to an independent school and while most of the teaching is really good she has had some less good teachers. Interestingly, on the basis of my dd’s experiences and also talking to parents with children at other schools, I think science is one of those areas where teaching can be a bit hit and miss...