Can you blame bad grades on bad teaching?

Sunday 6 September 2015

Today, I have decided to write about a slightly controversial topic which comes up in conversations a lot. I cannot count the many times I have heard people say, 'My teacher never teaches us anything' or 'She/he is such a bad teacher'. If I am honest, I am amongst these people and I know that it is wrong to label teachers good or bad. Many people in my family are, or have been, teachers and I know how hard they work. It honestly isn't just a case of working the usual school hours as so much more goes into it - planning and marking included. In addition to this, what equates to being a bad teacher? Is there such a thing? I understand that some lessons feel like nothing is being taught to you or the teachers seem uninterested. However, the vast majority of teachers put lots of effort into their lessons and know what they should be teaching.

My main point is: where does self motivation step in? Can you really say that bad grades are solely down to teaching methods? If you care enough about your marks, you should be studying at home to make up for lessons that you feel haven't been fulfilling. It is very easy just to blame bad grades on teachers and, of course, if they have given you no guidance whatsoever it is hard to do well. You have to be motivated, however, to do your best. This is how you will get good marks. Many subjects don't come naturally to people, I understand. I hate art because I'm really not good at it. Last year, I had to do some art and at the start of the year I wasn't doing well in the lessons and I was getting bad grades. My teacher was lovely and a good teacher overall but she didn't give anyone individual feedback or advice. I then went home and worked hard at it and by the end of the year I was doing a lot better. This rise in my grades was mostly down to my change of my attitude because I started believing that I could do it. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you have to put in the effort elsewhere if you feel that you aren't benefiting your upmost potential in lessons. Personal motivation is key if you want to do well. 


All of this is from my own experiences. Sorry if this post is a bit different from normal, tell me if you like it or if you prefer my usual types of posts! 
xox

21 comments:

  1. Well done on being brave enough to talk about such a controversial topic! In my opinion there is 100% such thing as a bad teacher. This past year was my final year in college, so it's a very important year I had to do pretty well in my exams to make it into university. One of the subjects I studied was sociology, my original teacher who I loved and had in the first year unfortunately left in December, then came our replacement.. She really was a nightmare, she taught us NOTHING AT ALL! A prime example comes from the 2 hour lesson which we spent learning to 'pick a lock' because she wanted to see if it was possible to do the same thing in the examinations office downstairs so we could see what was on our exam papers.. what sort of teacher does that?! She even shown us once the system full of everyones grades in the year which she even admitted was illegal, I think because she was a supply teacher and was leaving when we did she just didn't care at all which is a shame, me and my friend had to teach ourselves the entire year's worth of work but we both came out with B's overall so we were super happy! Great post - sorry for my little rant there haha!

    Toni x
    www.clarkecouture.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! That, admittedly, is really bad! Well done on your result - truly amazing after all of that! Haha, it's fine! We all need a little rant sometimes! Thank you :)

      xox

      Delete
  2. I believe there are "bad teachers" out there, for instance, in my final year of high school my physics teacher ended up teaching us the completely wrong syllabus, meaning we ALL failed. After his mistake, he was fired and we had a constant rota of supply teachers and never actually learnt anything, leading my class to just about pass our final exams (mainly my school's fault).
    But I believe not all teachers are bad, students are just as responsible for their grades and learning. The ones who spend all lesson not listening and being disruptive are usually the ones that you'll find complaining about how bad teachers are generally.
    Important post on an important and present topic, great job! xx

    Kathryn | Chapters of Kat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no - that's awful! Yeah, some people are like that and they shouldn't be! Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      xox

      Delete
  3. This is so important topic and you wrote great post xx

    Tajaljeh / http://lifeastajaljeh.blogspot.si/

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do think that there are bad teachers who just cannot connect with students the way they teach them, like their way of teaching is just outdated. I also do think though if students don't try that it's very easy to blame the teacher for their bad grades. Definitely a great topic to cover lovely really enjoyed the post :) x

    Jordan | Keep Dreaming ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, honestly I have had some teachers who styles have been a bit outdated so I had to keep up with the work at home to compensate. Thank you so much :)

      xox

      Delete
  5. In GCSE maths I was always told to do the foundation paper. I was taught the stuff but only got D's however when I chose to do the higher paper, I taught it myself and came away with a C. I believe your grades are a true reflection on how many hours you put in. Your teachers should not be fully responsible for everything. Loved this style of post, would love to see more like it x




    http://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow - that's amazing! Well done you! It proves that working that extra bit harder really pays off! Thank you, I'll try to do some more then! :)

      xox

      Delete
  6. In some respects yes, I failed my first law exam in sixth form because all she did was read out of the book we had in front of us and when we said we need a little bit more of an explanation she said to reread the book, but I was lucky me and my best friend stuck together and we passed it by making sure we did everything we physically could to understand it and googled a lot of it, and one of my friends did law the year before me (they were the year above) so they really helped me understand it too.

    I think the thing is, if you want something then you try your best, you look for help where you can and try to get the grades you know you can get and deserve. I think you have to want to succeed as well as finding support that works for you.

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan | Instagram | Twitter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I completely agree! It's about wanting to succeed and do well, if your motivated enough you can achieve your full potential. That's really good what you did, you managed to find other help when you weren't learning a lot in lessons!

      xox

      Delete
  7. I definitely agree that self-motivation is a huge part of learning and that some students label teachers as "bad teachers" because they're not being spoon-fed the information. As a future teacher, I definitely believe students have to be willing to study and learn on their own as well. However, I do believe there is such a thing as a bad teacher. Teachers who aren't interested in connecting with their students or are unwilling to try new methods of teaching to better reach their students aren't going to reach their students - which is part of their job! I'd say, in the education system we have, it's 50/50 as to the responsibility of the teacher in student in the student's success.

    Great post. I loved seeing your thoughts on it.

    - Courtney
    courtneylthings.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is such an interesting comment! Thank you for taking the time to write it! I agree that teacher's should have some responsibility like you said! Yeah, some students find it easy to blame their teachers when things don't go right. Thank you :)

      xox

      Delete
  8. In my opinion 'bad teachers' exist and I have met at least four of them in my life. One thing I don't understand is why those people chose such profession if they do not passionate about it. What's the point? Both students and 'bad teachers' suffer because of it. There are subjects which are possible to be learnt from textbooks, but sometimes you need some extra explanation. That is why I and many other students deeply respect teachers who put effort into their job. I would never dare to call their lessons boring or dumb. Also I can't thank them enough for what they have taught me and how educated I'm in some spheres.
    Going to give you example of a 'bad teacher' at my school. My geography teacher is hilarious and pointless because she knows geography worse than any 5-years old kid. Once she spent about fifteen minutes arguing with me that Istanbul is a capital of Turkey. I was like okay, everyone makes mistakes. However, she told me to shut up and didn't admit she was wrong. Next time she said Egypt is Asia. Oh and should I also add that apparently Australia is located in Europe? I could go on and on, but it just pisses me off that such people work at school. Maybe there's one person who would give everything he or she owns to be a teacher yet can't find job because such people as my geography teacher occupied his or her post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was a really interesting comment to read - thank you so much for taking the time to write it! With regards to your geography teacher, it shocks me to hear that they argued with you! After all of that, I hope you still did well in you geography! I strongly agree with your point about respecting teachers who put effort into their job!

      xox

      Delete
  9. Currently, my math teacher spends the majority of the 80 minutes of class with his back turned to the students and writing on the board. This is difficult because half the class can't always see what's on the board and it's difficult to ask questions. Then, he leaves maybe about 10 minutes to give out homework and to let us start it. This is the challenging part because that's not enough "in class" work time to get through a few questions and see what we need help with. Unfortunately, not all parents can help their kids with math when they don't understand how to solve a problem. In my opinion, that's a bad teaching because I can't receive help that only I specifically need and the teacher still doesn't know where the majority of the students stand with his class because he doesn't really check the homework either.
    Just because this is how the class happens, I don't believe that he's a bad teacher.

    Great post and I just want to thank you for writing about a slightly controversial topic because not many people have the courage to do so, but you did and it was an amazing post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I understand what you mean. Sometimes my teachers aren't very engaging like your math teacher is but I'm used to it now! Meaning, I have to do some more work at home. This is okay for me, however I can see how some other students struggle.

      Thank you so much, that has honestly made my day!

      xox

      Delete
  10. I think that your interest in a subject depends on how it is taught. If you're interested, your grades would go up without you even noticing. Otherwise, the students may slack off. Teachers may put a lot of effort into actually getting the information across, but if they make it interesting, they needn't spoon feed everything in the syllabus as the students would be inspired to learn it themselves.
    This is a great idea for a post. You did a really good job writing it and voicing opinions that no student would ever dare admit! Haha!
    x
    Aria
    Girl in a Whimsical Land

    ReplyDelete
  11. You have a really good point there! Thank you very much! :) :)

    xox

    ReplyDelete

Sunday 6 September 2015

Can you blame bad grades on bad teaching?

Today, I have decided to write about a slightly controversial topic which comes up in conversations a lot. I cannot count the many times I have heard people say, 'My teacher never teaches us anything' or 'She/he is such a bad teacher'. If I am honest, I am amongst these people and I know that it is wrong to label teachers good or bad. Many people in my family are, or have been, teachers and I know how hard they work. It honestly isn't just a case of working the usual school hours as so much more goes into it - planning and marking included. In addition to this, what equates to being a bad teacher? Is there such a thing? I understand that some lessons feel like nothing is being taught to you or the teachers seem uninterested. However, the vast majority of teachers put lots of effort into their lessons and know what they should be teaching.

My main point is: where does self motivation step in? Can you really say that bad grades are solely down to teaching methods? If you care enough about your marks, you should be studying at home to make up for lessons that you feel haven't been fulfilling. It is very easy just to blame bad grades on teachers and, of course, if they have given you no guidance whatsoever it is hard to do well. You have to be motivated, however, to do your best. This is how you will get good marks. Many subjects don't come naturally to people, I understand. I hate art because I'm really not good at it. Last year, I had to do some art and at the start of the year I wasn't doing well in the lessons and I was getting bad grades. My teacher was lovely and a good teacher overall but she didn't give anyone individual feedback or advice. I then went home and worked hard at it and by the end of the year I was doing a lot better. This rise in my grades was mostly down to my change of my attitude because I started believing that I could do it. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you have to put in the effort elsewhere if you feel that you aren't benefiting your upmost potential in lessons. Personal motivation is key if you want to do well. 


All of this is from my own experiences. Sorry if this post is a bit different from normal, tell me if you like it or if you prefer my usual types of posts! 
xox

21 comments:

  1. Well done on being brave enough to talk about such a controversial topic! In my opinion there is 100% such thing as a bad teacher. This past year was my final year in college, so it's a very important year I had to do pretty well in my exams to make it into university. One of the subjects I studied was sociology, my original teacher who I loved and had in the first year unfortunately left in December, then came our replacement.. She really was a nightmare, she taught us NOTHING AT ALL! A prime example comes from the 2 hour lesson which we spent learning to 'pick a lock' because she wanted to see if it was possible to do the same thing in the examinations office downstairs so we could see what was on our exam papers.. what sort of teacher does that?! She even shown us once the system full of everyones grades in the year which she even admitted was illegal, I think because she was a supply teacher and was leaving when we did she just didn't care at all which is a shame, me and my friend had to teach ourselves the entire year's worth of work but we both came out with B's overall so we were super happy! Great post - sorry for my little rant there haha!

    Toni x
    www.clarkecouture.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! That, admittedly, is really bad! Well done on your result - truly amazing after all of that! Haha, it's fine! We all need a little rant sometimes! Thank you :)

      xox

      Delete
  2. I believe there are "bad teachers" out there, for instance, in my final year of high school my physics teacher ended up teaching us the completely wrong syllabus, meaning we ALL failed. After his mistake, he was fired and we had a constant rota of supply teachers and never actually learnt anything, leading my class to just about pass our final exams (mainly my school's fault).
    But I believe not all teachers are bad, students are just as responsible for their grades and learning. The ones who spend all lesson not listening and being disruptive are usually the ones that you'll find complaining about how bad teachers are generally.
    Important post on an important and present topic, great job! xx

    Kathryn | Chapters of Kat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no - that's awful! Yeah, some people are like that and they shouldn't be! Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      xox

      Delete
  3. This is so important topic and you wrote great post xx

    Tajaljeh / http://lifeastajaljeh.blogspot.si/

    ReplyDelete
  4. I do think that there are bad teachers who just cannot connect with students the way they teach them, like their way of teaching is just outdated. I also do think though if students don't try that it's very easy to blame the teacher for their bad grades. Definitely a great topic to cover lovely really enjoyed the post :) x

    Jordan | Keep Dreaming ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, honestly I have had some teachers who styles have been a bit outdated so I had to keep up with the work at home to compensate. Thank you so much :)

      xox

      Delete
  5. In GCSE maths I was always told to do the foundation paper. I was taught the stuff but only got D's however when I chose to do the higher paper, I taught it myself and came away with a C. I believe your grades are a true reflection on how many hours you put in. Your teachers should not be fully responsible for everything. Loved this style of post, would love to see more like it x




    http://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow - that's amazing! Well done you! It proves that working that extra bit harder really pays off! Thank you, I'll try to do some more then! :)

      xox

      Delete
  6. In some respects yes, I failed my first law exam in sixth form because all she did was read out of the book we had in front of us and when we said we need a little bit more of an explanation she said to reread the book, but I was lucky me and my best friend stuck together and we passed it by making sure we did everything we physically could to understand it and googled a lot of it, and one of my friends did law the year before me (they were the year above) so they really helped me understand it too.

    I think the thing is, if you want something then you try your best, you look for help where you can and try to get the grades you know you can get and deserve. I think you have to want to succeed as well as finding support that works for you.

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan | Instagram | Twitter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I completely agree! It's about wanting to succeed and do well, if your motivated enough you can achieve your full potential. That's really good what you did, you managed to find other help when you weren't learning a lot in lessons!

      xox

      Delete
  7. I definitely agree that self-motivation is a huge part of learning and that some students label teachers as "bad teachers" because they're not being spoon-fed the information. As a future teacher, I definitely believe students have to be willing to study and learn on their own as well. However, I do believe there is such a thing as a bad teacher. Teachers who aren't interested in connecting with their students or are unwilling to try new methods of teaching to better reach their students aren't going to reach their students - which is part of their job! I'd say, in the education system we have, it's 50/50 as to the responsibility of the teacher in student in the student's success.

    Great post. I loved seeing your thoughts on it.

    - Courtney
    courtneylthings.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is such an interesting comment! Thank you for taking the time to write it! I agree that teacher's should have some responsibility like you said! Yeah, some students find it easy to blame their teachers when things don't go right. Thank you :)

      xox

      Delete
  8. In my opinion 'bad teachers' exist and I have met at least four of them in my life. One thing I don't understand is why those people chose such profession if they do not passionate about it. What's the point? Both students and 'bad teachers' suffer because of it. There are subjects which are possible to be learnt from textbooks, but sometimes you need some extra explanation. That is why I and many other students deeply respect teachers who put effort into their job. I would never dare to call their lessons boring or dumb. Also I can't thank them enough for what they have taught me and how educated I'm in some spheres.
    Going to give you example of a 'bad teacher' at my school. My geography teacher is hilarious and pointless because she knows geography worse than any 5-years old kid. Once she spent about fifteen minutes arguing with me that Istanbul is a capital of Turkey. I was like okay, everyone makes mistakes. However, she told me to shut up and didn't admit she was wrong. Next time she said Egypt is Asia. Oh and should I also add that apparently Australia is located in Europe? I could go on and on, but it just pisses me off that such people work at school. Maybe there's one person who would give everything he or she owns to be a teacher yet can't find job because such people as my geography teacher occupied his or her post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was a really interesting comment to read - thank you so much for taking the time to write it! With regards to your geography teacher, it shocks me to hear that they argued with you! After all of that, I hope you still did well in you geography! I strongly agree with your point about respecting teachers who put effort into their job!

      xox

      Delete
  9. Currently, my math teacher spends the majority of the 80 minutes of class with his back turned to the students and writing on the board. This is difficult because half the class can't always see what's on the board and it's difficult to ask questions. Then, he leaves maybe about 10 minutes to give out homework and to let us start it. This is the challenging part because that's not enough "in class" work time to get through a few questions and see what we need help with. Unfortunately, not all parents can help their kids with math when they don't understand how to solve a problem. In my opinion, that's a bad teaching because I can't receive help that only I specifically need and the teacher still doesn't know where the majority of the students stand with his class because he doesn't really check the homework either.
    Just because this is how the class happens, I don't believe that he's a bad teacher.

    Great post and I just want to thank you for writing about a slightly controversial topic because not many people have the courage to do so, but you did and it was an amazing post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I understand what you mean. Sometimes my teachers aren't very engaging like your math teacher is but I'm used to it now! Meaning, I have to do some more work at home. This is okay for me, however I can see how some other students struggle.

      Thank you so much, that has honestly made my day!

      xox

      Delete
  10. I think that your interest in a subject depends on how it is taught. If you're interested, your grades would go up without you even noticing. Otherwise, the students may slack off. Teachers may put a lot of effort into actually getting the information across, but if they make it interesting, they needn't spoon feed everything in the syllabus as the students would be inspired to learn it themselves.
    This is a great idea for a post. You did a really good job writing it and voicing opinions that no student would ever dare admit! Haha!
    x
    Aria
    Girl in a Whimsical Land

    ReplyDelete
  11. You have a really good point there! Thank you very much! :) :)

    xox

    ReplyDelete

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