how would you feel if one of your kids high school teachers was only 21? (teens, babies)
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I would guess that a teacher that young might have a harder time getting her students to respect her and mind what she says. It is kind of hard to imagine being 17 or 18 and having a teacher only a few years older than myself.
The teacher is still the teacher; s/he is an authority figure. The teacher doesn't need to broadcast her age. I turned 21 in June (year unspecified, LOL) and graduated with my BSN in August of the same year. I was a very young nurse.
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Originally Posted by springfieldva
I think I would have mixed feelings if one of my kids had a very young teacher.
On the one hand, as a parent, I might worry about the teacher's lack of experience. However, younger teachers *tend* to be pretty up on the latest technology in the classroom so that could certainly be a big benefit to my kids.
Our district tries to hire a variety of ages of teachers with varying degrees of experience. Newly graduated teachers can be quite enthusiastic.
What matters is if the teacher can do the job. This means carrying authority and being able to manage the classroom (most important - without it, no learning can take place). Kids willchallenge or test any teacher of any age.
I was a substitute teacher today in a classroom with a 21 year old student teacher. She has been there only half the semester but the teacher requested that she be in charge today (as she will start being in charge fulltime after Easter break). She did an amazing job of planning the lessons, leading the lessons and classroom management in four of the five classes.
The only class that she had problems with was the same group of ninth graders that has caused problems for several teachers in our high school with 15 to 20 years of experience. That grade has an unusually high percentage of students who are defiant, noncompliant, rude, disrespectful, etc.
She felt badly about her difficulties but I told her that two weeks ago I had to call the office for help when I (a retired teacher with significant amount of training/experience/success in classroom management) had problems with many of those same ninth graders in a different class. That made her feel a little better.
Personally I don't think it's the best idea....that age is way too close to the teenagers. I think at that young of an age they should start out in elementary school. Just my opinion. I'm sure it happens and works out fine, but I personally think it can also be a problem.
A problem how? As a 21 year old, would you have been interested in being pals with a bunch of high schoolers?
Certainly, some people cross lines. But those are, I suspect, people who would cross lines with students regardless of their age. I'm fact, a teacher at my high school ended his career over for being too friendly with a group of girls. The parents complained, an investigation followed, and because nothing physical was discovered to have happened, he was given the option of early retirement, which he took. He was in his late 50s, not 21.
This is an interesting topic, it really made me think back.
The ONLY time I had young teachers -- meaning in their 20s, not necessarily even early 20s -- was in kindergarten and 3rd grade. The rest of them in elem, middle and high school were in there 40s -- AT LEAST. The majority of them were later 40s and 50s. And I attended public school (and private for a short period) in three different areas of the country. I guess I never thought about it.
Funny, because I have several teacher friends who - when I was also new to my career - starting teaching at 22 and I never thought about the contrast.
Would I feel a little weird that a 21 year old is teaching my high school son or daughter? Maybe, but it would only be superficial and would have nothing to do with her/his qualifications since clearly they are qualified and have met state and school reqs... more so with the 3-5 year age difference; many married/committed/long term couples have an age difference spanning more years than that. It is a little strange. But I would have no real, weighty concerns.
I ask because at my daughters high school there is a female English teacher who just turned 21 at the beginning of the school year. That seems kind of young to be a high school teacher, but I wondered what other people thought.
During Vietnam (my generation) the government drafted guys younger than 21 and gave them guns. They became helicopter pilots and medics and airplane mechanics and operated multi-million dollar pieces of equipment.
I quit judging people by their age a very long time ago.
I was a substitute teacher today in a classroom with a 21 year old student teacher. She has been there only half the semester but the teacher requested that she be in charge today (as she will start being in charge fulltime after Easter break). She did an amazing job of planning the lessons, leading the lessons and classroom management in four of the five classes.
The only class that she had problems with was the same group of ninth graders that has caused problems for several teachers in our high school with 15 to 20 years of experience. That grade has an unusually high percentage of students who are defiant, noncompliant, rude, disrespectful, etc.
She felt badly about her difficulties but I told her that two weeks ago I had to call the office for help when I (a retired teacher with significant amount of training/experience/success in classroom management) had problems with many of those same ninth graders in a different class. That made her feel a little better.
As a parent, I don't really care how old a teacher is as long as he/she can do a reasonable job of planning the lessons, managing the classroom, etc...Ideally an inexperienced teacher would have support from the more experienced teachers/admins.
If my kids are learning, I'm a happy camper. I know that it is not an easy job regardless of grade level taught.
Would I feel a little weird that a 21 year old is teaching my high school son or daughter? Maybe, but it would only be superficial and would have nothing to do with her/his qualifications since clearly they are qualified and have met state and school reqs... more so with the 3-5 year age difference; many married/committed/long term couples have an age difference spanning more years than that. It is a little strange. But I would have no real, weighty concerns.
And there are couples who have 15-20 year age differences. Would you also feel uncomfortable with someone in their late 30s teaching high school? At what age wouldn't you find it weird?
When I was in high school, I had a history teacher who was fresh out of college, and his current knowledge and enthusiasm for the work made him a excellent teacher who most of the students really enjoyed. I had more disappointing classroom experiences with older teachers who were burned out and disinterested than new teachers who were still excited about teaching.
In 8th grade, my English teacher was very young. For various reasons, our class had already been through three teachers that year, and this teacher was actually able to engage us and teach us. She was able to connect with us, and it made a huge difference to the class. I don't see any problem.
So the teacher's 21, and everybody knows it. Those of you who are whining, quit your whining.
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