Teachers

Throughout my many years of schooling, there have been teachers that have inspired me and others who have done the complete opposite.  Although I know that teaching is not easy, some teachers have an easier time connecting with their students.  This is usually because they are passionate about what they teach or really enjoy teaching.   Still if I had to give two character traits that are helpful they would be to understand what kids are going through and to be passionate about what they teach.  If teachers understand that kids have after school activates or have lives after school then they will know not to give huge amounts of work that people probably will not do.  Kids will then just do work to get it done rather than do it and learn from it, this is a waste because no one is learning from it.  Also if teachers know what you are dealing with then they will be easier to talk to and truly understand your problems.  Teachers who have a passion or love for what they have then they make the class topic more interesting and also sets the mood for the class.  If a teacher has a love for the subject then that excitement and love for the subject is sometimes transferred to the students and makes them interested in the topic.  One topic that is bad is when teaches really do not enjoy teaching or hate what they teach.  This then again sets the mood in the class room of dread and annoyance.  Also another characteristic that is bad is when teachers do not give students some brakes or help them with some type of extra work or accept late work.  These teachers need to realize that kids have other classes and after schools activities and because of this some work can not be done.  Although school is important, sometimes there is to much work to be done in one night.  When the teachers do not accept late work it can bring down the grade and the student then has problems with that class. But, if they accept late work then the grade stays ok and there is stress taken off the student.  This also shows that the teacher is compassionate and cares about the well being of the student and their grades. 

Comments

[Aubrey Levesque]

I agree with the first two traits you selected that are the positive. It is helpful when the teachers are passionate because it helps the students to enjoy the class and want to learn the material too. I also chose the trait of understanding, because when teachers really understand the students, it helps the whole classroom atmosphere for the better. It helps the students to thrive and improve in many ways. I do not agree with some of your reasoning though. Teachers know that kids have things to do in their private lives and after school activities, but that does not mean at all, that they cut down on the homework and such. They sometimes may work around things to help the students, but it is never an "all the time" thing or it would not benefit the students, it would evetually hurt them. The students would, like you said, not learn from the material and just do to do, but also, they may not do it at all, which hurts the students and sometimes the teachers too.
I agree with what you said about teachers being passionate. When they love the subject and are passionate and want to teach and help students learn, it helps the entire class. I also agree with if the teachers are not passionate, because then it has an adverse effect and causes the students to not care about the topic.
It does not matter if students have other classes or activities to do, teachers do not care. It is your job to get your work done and that continues on through life. I do not feel that teachers should accept late work, unless there was a technical problem and a written note from a parent is given. A due date is set and it is not fair to the students who always do their work on time and others are allowed to pass in things late. The grade should be lowered if late to make it fair for all. You made many good points, but some I believe were unrealistic.

[Amanda Rigby]

I like your analysis of the teachers and the need for a sense of passion when teaching. Like you said, when teaching, teachers are able to make more real connections, discuss more interesting/exciting topics, and set an overall mood. A good teacher is one who has relatable and caring qualities that allow space for personal discussion and relativity. There is a fine line though. There are boundaries that a teacher should not cross. A teacher should never be viewed as a friend, for they are in a position of authority. It is great if one is able to talk to a teacher but there is a line that must stay in place in order to properly get the job of teaching done. Here is where I tend to disagree slightly. If a teacher becomes too understanding of a child’s extracurricular activities and that workload and begins to give special treatment or take it easy, the child will never learn. No one is going to hold a person’s hand for their entire lives. In my blog, I said that an admirable quality of a teacher is one that challenges. I have learned more from those who forced me to sit down and devote time to my homework than from those who have brushed off work or let me get away with not doing it. Students need to be pushed to their utmost potential and should not be babied by their teachers. There needs to be a healthy balance between workload, a relationship with the student, and knowing their outside lives enough to work around it in a way that both challenges but does not (figuratively) kill the student.