Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Neither is valuable and neither is the kind of teacher I want regardless of whether I look at the issue as a parent, as a student, as an administrator, or as a colleage. Both are an issue and students don't learn as much as they should when they have either. It can be argued that at least the liked teacher who is clueless won't cause some kids to hate the subject/school or stress some kid out so bad they end up getting sick. It can be argued that the unlikable teacher who knows their stuff won't waste the kid's time and they will at least not be given wrong information. I want neither in my building, and there are enough competent, personable teachers out there that I don't have to settle for either. But if I were forced to choose, and I know you aren't going to like this answer, I'd take the likable clueless one. I can get books to help bolster that one but you can't change a person's personality. Also, under the theory that I need to go with the one that causes the least harm, I'd take the likable clueless one. They can always learn the information later but the bad feelings or resentment towards education are harder to fix and can last a lifetime. Like I said though, there is no reason during a teacher glut to have to subject the kids to either.
Which teacher is the more valuable teacher of the two in the poll?
This is difficult to answer without a definition of "liked". A teacher may not be "liked" because s/he has more structure than students have had in the past, or has standards.... People can be respected and effective without being "liked".
Given the choice of content over no-content, I would have to choose content. Without content, what is being accomplished?
I absolutely agree that there is a difference between a respected teacher who is not liked by some students because they are strict or hard and one they just don't like for other reasons.
I think neither is particularly valuable on it's own, and I couldn't pick one over the other.
I just returned from parent/teacher conferences. The meeting reinforced to me why my kids like their school so much. The teachers are incredibly well liked by the students, are experts in their subjects AND are fabulous instructors (just because you know your subject doesn't mean you can teach it well). A truly valuable teacher has all three components. Being well liked does not equate to being a push over. One of our most loved HS school teachers is a language arts teacher under whom only the cream of the cream will receive an A on any assignment. Some kids turn down the invitation to AP English just to take her class.
I think neither is particularly valuable on it's own, and I couldn't pick one over the other.
I just returned from parent/teacher conferences. The meeting reinforced to me why my kids like their school so much. The teachers are incredibly well liked by the students, are experts in their subjects AND are fabulous instructors (just because you know your subject doesn't mean you can teach it well). A truly valuable teacher has all three components. Being well liked does not equate to being a push over. One of our most loved HS school teachers is a language arts teacher under whom only the cream of the cream will receive an A on any assignment. Some kids turn down the invitation to AP English just to take her class.
I put in bold what I think is most important. I absolutely agree that a person with a lot of knowledge of content but cannot convey that knowledge in a means where students will learn. I've had those teachers that knew their content cold but were horrible teachers.
I can't vote in your poll, I don't want either teacher unless I know more about the skills the teachers have as instructors.
In teachers like often goes very closely with respect .Especially with younger people respect goes a long way towards their learning from a teachers.At least that was my view as well as many friends;Didn't like the teacher then little interaction.
This is difficult to answer without a definition of "liked". A teacher may not be "liked" because s/he has more structure than students have had in the past, or has standards.... People can be respected and effective without being "liked".
Given the choice of content over no-content, I would have to choose content. Without content, what is being accomplished?
Just liked. They chit chat with the teacher and consider the teacher a friend.
I would also choose content. When I look back, I didn't like many of the good teachers I had. I didn't like them because they held me accountable, they held me to a standard, they challenged me, their classes were not easy, they knew their material well enough that I could not bluff my way through and if I tried, they called me on it. I also had teachers I liked but they usually didn't teach me anything. Their class was just a great place to blow an hour of your school day. I remember having one teacher I loved in school who I learned from. That was 21st century literature (science fiction). The teacher had a rubber face and had a face and voice for every character in the book. What I learned from him was to love reading science fiction but I don't think I learned anything else but I thank him for that. I still read science fiction.
When I look back, I didn't like many of the good teachers I had. I didn't like them because they held me accountable, they held me to a standard, they challenged me, their classes were not easy, they knew their material well enough that I could not bluff my way through and if I tried, they called me on it.
You can be this kind of teacher and be well liked. Ivory, do you believe that a teacher who holds a standard will automatically not be liked because of that? You do not give kids much credit, in that case.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
