In continuation of our class discussion, I'd like us to ruminate over what makes a good teacher. Let's try to use past experiences, before Stuyvesant, to not only pay respect, but analyze what makes an effective teacher. Share your experiences but also, attempt to answer the following question:
What is the purpose of high school? Once you've attempted to find an answer, try to consider what each teacher's role is in helping you reach that goal.
I'll accept outside sources of course and encourage appropriate and polite student debate. And please don't use this as an opportunity to bash a teacher. If you're going to use someone as a negative example, let's leave out names.
A good teacher is one who would teach what is on the curriculum but also teaches more interesting topics that are partially related to the curriculum yet is more about life in general, and also tell how does the topic on the curriculums relate to everyday life. A teacher that understand what he or she is teaching and is interested in those topics. I believe the purpose of high school is to give a large variety of subjects that a student can learn and get interested in and eventually able to find a subject that he or she might want to find a job in. A teacher's role is to guide the student along on those paths and making sure the students are learning as well as being interested.
ReplyDeleteAn effective teacher doesn't just give you material and then have you regurgitate what was taught on a test. To be honest I don't see a test as a way to see how much I've learned. Rather it signifies that the night before I will be cramming everything into my head. An effective teacher would make you think things through and not just give you all the answers. Because if the children (whom is our future) is constantly given all the information and never taught how to think, our society would never advance. And I also feel that the teacher should not condemn being wrong. A good teacher should be like Miss Ferenzi who encourages children who are wrong. Ever since we were in kindergarten, we were taught that being wrong is a terrible thing to do. However we shouldn't be so afraid to make mistakes. All the successful people in this world all made mistakes before they achieved their goal.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of high school is to teach the future leaders of the world information the past leaders have discovered. This way hopefully these children will use the information taught to make the world a better place, and to learn even more things to teach their children. A teacher's role in achieving this goal is to share their knowledge and guidance.
As Edward has stated, a good teacher will be able to show the student why they should learn the subject and how it connects to the real world, that way they take a better intrest in learning the subject. High school is a way to show students a small glimpse of the real world, allowing them to learn social skills and also tol gather more knowledge at the same time. An example of a great teacher is my global teacher who is able to connect classroom knowledge to the realworld through videos and interactive activities. He is also able to make sure that students do their work with reandom notebook checks, and quizes based off of classwork, maps, and homework. Since students are alowed to use these materials during the quiz, they are almost certain to get them done.
ReplyDeleteA good teacher would teach students based on the curriculum they are currently learning. They should be thought in their preference and not how the teacher wants to teach things. If the whole class is confused and disagrees with what the teacher is doing, such as Ms. Ferenczi. She was saying impossible math equations such as 6 time 11 equals 68 rather than 66. All the students disagreed with what the teacher was saying, however her response was to say, when I'm here 6 times 11 = 68. Why does it matter if she is there or not. She should be putting correct information into the mind of her students.
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of high school is to develop students output in life which includes responsibility and open mindedness. Therefore, a good teacher is a person who is able to evoke the students. The students should be able to critically think about the world. Students commonly ask, "Why do I need to know this, how will this help me in the future?" A good teacher should not only teach the curriculum but be able to compare it to real world experiences. That includes teaching right from wrong. Occasionally, teachers purposely say wrong things for their students' benefit. When Ms. Ferenczi tells her students that 11 x 6 = 68, she teaches her students not to trust everything they learn. However, some teachers misuse this authority and teach biased concepts. That is why it is important for students to be taught by different teachers in high school.
ReplyDeleteA good teacher should be able to teach their subject well while keeping it interesting. If a topic that the teacher teaches does not interest the students, most will just fall asleep because they have nothing else to do. The teachers that are really successful are the ones that keep the students awake, wanting more, and having other students want to be in his/her class. That teacher should be able to make that student think, "This class is interesting," while staying on the curriculum and also not going off topic that much. Once a a while would also keep the short attention span of students nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI would say Ms. Ferenczi is a good teacher because she teaches with a passion. Maybe she doesnt teach the right things, but it can also spark the interest of the students, and also leave them wondering whether she talked about something true. This will probably make them go home and ask their parents about it or search it up. That will keep the 'flame burning' and will make students think, instead of having them just regurgitate everything on test day. Tests may be good, but the way you teach in preparation for that test is what really matters. If you teach the information with no interest in it yourself and you teach it with no enthusiasm, the students would just be memorizing and not applying the concepts like they should. School is about teaching students to apply the concepts and also helping them find their interests with the wide variety of classes.
I totally agree with what Victor said about keeping the class interesting because in one of my classes last term the class was really boring. Also the teacher basically spends the period talking about topics related to what we are learning but not really what we should be learning. Many kids don't really listen and the textbook has more information to teach than the teacher. I just stared at the kid playing games on his I-Pad the whole period. Also what everybody said about connecting the experience to other things is important to because I understand something better when it is throughly explained and maybe with some examples. Relating to the world is good up to a point then it is just too far of the original topic. Even though some teachers are keeping class interesting there are others that just have this unmotivated voice that puts the class to sleep. Of course thats not the teacher's fault (actually maybe they can try changing that) it still affects the class. There are many other aspects a good teacher should have like going over homework and classwork so you know what you did wrong and why. Also there are teachers who just don't teach or just assigns you to reading chapters in the textbook.
ReplyDeleteTo me High School is the last stage of school where you're suppose to finish studying "basic" knowledge though most of these you may never use. The teachers are there to get you through that and make sure you graduate from High School knowing all you should. Also in High Schools there are more freedoms as to what you can do after school and start cooperating face to face with others. Voluteering is also an important part of High School as you should know or have an idea of what you want to be and then start accumulating experience.
Dionis Wang per.4
A good teacher has to like what they teach and try to make students like it too. My global teacher is really energetic in class and makes jokes a lot. Seeing her hype to teach makes me happy to learn and its easier to learn something when you're happy with it. Also, they should be able to connect whats in the classroom with current news. They should be willing to help any student and sometimes ask the student if they need help before the student comes to them. Last semester, everyone warned me about a teacher who they hated. But, when I went to tutoring, I was surprised that he'd ask people if they needed help even before they went to ask him. Though he doesn't give high grades, I still think he's an amazing teacher because he loves to confuse you and wants you to ask him for help and look for solutions.
ReplyDeleteI think that high school is a place where you start getting ready for college and then life. We come here to take a variety of classes to learn what we enjoy and study more about it in our time. An important part of high school is making friends that'll help you. Teachers should also play this role a students life, because sometimes we can't go to our friends or parents. And, they are there to help us learn and find our passions.
I agree as well with the above comments about the effectiveness of a teacher from their style of teaching. A teacher should not only be knowledgeable and a paragon for students. The students should feel engaged in the material and have enthusiasm for the class. The teacher's role in this determines whether a student learns and RETAINS the information. The teacher is not only a conveyor of knowledge; they should inspire students to pursue a yearning for more information. In the short story, Ms. Ferenczi actually epitomizes the exact kind of teacher that is the absolute opposite of the aforementioned ideal teacher. She has no vigor for teaching and simply drones on about her personal insight into the topics she is instructed to cover as a substitute teacher. The teacher should not be allowed to make selfish and unprofessional decisions to teach a course with abstruse information that exhausts students' will to remain attentive. The teacher may of course offer opinions and more material to students, BUT only after fulfilling his or her duty to teach the curriculum established by superior education authorities. Quixotic information only makes the experience with the teacher an arduous and extremely unpleasant one. An excellent teacher is one whose impression is indelible. I speak so strongly about this DUTY that teachers have to effectively mold their students only because of a prior experience with a devastatingly atrocious teacher who had no regard for the system by which high schools have students conform to. The system in high school is a strict set of standards by which students and teachers who adhere to it can be rewarded with a great learning experience. High school exposes students to a myriad of subjects that will one day play a great role in establishing a career and thus a life for students. Thus, I conclude with saying that good teachers follow all the standard that superior authorities implement (e.g., rules, topics) but also inspire admiration and an itch to learn more in students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Victor, a good teacher should make their subject interesting for the students while being informative. I had a teacher who would just put up a video of the topic we are learning that day and told us to write notes, that class was extremely boring because of that. I did no learn much and hated that class. A teacher should answer questions from students after school and help them if they need it. High school is to find what subjects you are good at and specialize in them, teachers should guide you if you are interested in their field.
ReplyDeleteI think the role of high school is to have many classes in order to figure out what we want to pursue in college. Such as in Stuyvesant, which has a large array of classes, we are able to choose our electives that we want to take and delve into subjects that we are interested in, such as Modern China, Zoology, and Music Theory. With regard to this as the main purpose of high school, teachers should engage the students in whatever subject they are learning and expose them to many variations of that subject. It is important that they teach the fundamentals that we will need to know to go on to college, so teachers also have to follow the curriculum. However, I think it is fine if some teachers slightly waver off the curriculum to teach things they think are important to us in the future but still pertain to the subject they are teaching. Teachers should be passionate and be ready to aid the students and answer their questions, as Victor Cai stated above, so they can properly inform their students on the topic and perhaps get them more interested and engaged in it. All in all, one of the most important elements of a teacher to me is that they are engaging and try their best to keep their students attention during their lessons.
ReplyDeleteI think the role of high school is to direct students to a path that is widely accepted (i.e. the school curriculum). I agree though that teachers should make their subjects interesting yet still stay focused on the topic. I believe that high school serves more of a social than an educational function. What we learn in high school we could easily find in a book at a local library. From grades Pre-K to 8th, we have been taught to explore the possibilities, so high school is just more of a formality. I think teachers serve as a second set of parents to us, they try to guide us to the right path and support our decisions; they critique us when they believe it is necessary.
ReplyDeleteTiffany Ming per. 4
What defines a good teacher? well there are numerous qualities and many people have different preferences. Some people may prefer a laid back teacher, some may prefer a teacher who pushes them, some may prefer one that follows the curriculum, some may prefer ones who's create, and etc. I can't say which traits are the best because different people learn differently. However I think the single most important trait a good teacher must have is passion for their job. Being a teacher is an extremely hard job as much as others might think differently. They have numerous responsibility and are a big part of shaping a child's life. They are a guiding light for students, showing them what they should do, pushing them, teaching them, etc. Without passion for the job, a teacher simply cannot accomplish these things. A teacher's ultimate reward is that their students will hopefully become successful knowing that they had a part in guiding them. A good teacher is a parent in some ways.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the amount of comments prior to this, this may be a little repetitive but I will try to add my 2 'new cents' to the conversation. First off, high school is meant to prepare one for a future career because as you are slowly, maybe regretfully getting older, you will have to work on your own. Despite the fact that highschool may teach one skills, some of which may be completely useless to you in a career of choice, the range of oppurtunies allows you truly decide what interests you. This knowledge must be brought upon to the students by knowledgeable teachers who are willing to answer any questions the pioneers may have. The lessons should not simply be taught off a paper or a Powerpoint but more off of the teachers advanced understanding of the topics with the help of power points or board notes. More of the knowledge should be received off of the teacher and then reviewed from the notes. I have had too many teachers who I categorized as 'textbook-teachers' because textbooks is what I relied on. Furthermore, the teachers should have a good sense of humor as to keep the students' attention but not so much to let the class go wild. Lastly, "sreet smarts" should be tought from class to class in relation to the days lesson because over time all that knowledge could develop to teach one how to live happy or even survive outside of school.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the people above that a teacher should teach the curriculum while being interesting. To the students, it is preferable that their classes are lively rather than dull. In addition, however, I believe that a good teacher must also prepare students well that they do well in society. The teacher should take some time to tell the students about his or her personal stories about how cruel society can get. We can all obtain information from books and various resources, but hearing someone's personal experiences is a knowledge that one cannot obtain from anywhere except from the person himself. Though a student may have a lot of information received from school, what they should really hear are real life experiences. Expectations of society may not always turn out right. The teacher should realize this and share his or her stories with the students in hopes that they will be better prepared in their future workplaces or social life.
ReplyDeleteLike Caroline, I also agree with other people's opinions. A teacher shouldn't be boring and just teach the class facts. A teacher should make the facts interesting and also relate it to real life because we aren't going to stay in high school forever. A teacher should have a great relationship with his/her students so that students are able to ask questions and get valid responses. A good sense of humor is great, especially if it can help the class learn the material much better. A dull class won't attract students and get them interested in the class. Also, if the teacher can tell them real life experiences about the topic, that would be great not only with the class but helping them choose their career paths. In my opinion, high school is about learning information that will decide what you want your career to be. Surely, it doesn't have to be set in stone, but it will give you a variety of information at your disposal to choose from.
ReplyDeleteA major purpose of high school is to expose students to a variety of different subjects, allowing them to discover their interests and consider a possible profession or career. As such, I think it would be important that a teacher does a good job at showcasing their respective field. A good teacher should make it so that, even if a student doesn't have an interest in a particular subject, they would at the very least appreciate it or enjoy some part of it. For example, even if geometry is not someone's favorite subject, a good teacher would be able to give that student the ability to recognize how much care must be taken in constructing theorems and definitions, or to see the beauty in starting with a few basic axioms and building suites of theorems out of them.
ReplyDeleteEven if it's not related to a particular subject itself, teachers can display their own traits that may inspire or encourage students to do the same. For example, teachers can display professionalism, effective organization, or neatness. Some may even be able to give life lessons or tell an interesting story with some sort of moral, as long as they are able to effectively cover all the material that is needed.
Some may be able to establish a certain level of difficulty or challenge to the class that keeps them prepared or well-equipped for situations that may arise, or likewise instill a sense of responsibility in the student. For example, one teacher I had gave frequent open-book five-minute pop quizzes based on homework, using the quiz score to generate the grade of the homework (instead of checking the homework). By doing this, students would always complete the homework and be conscious of the QUALITY and effort they put into the homework, knowing that the quality of the materials they were created would be assessed with a quiz.
One of the biggest differences between the education system used in America and that used in Europe is the idea of experience vs knowledge. While in America, most students in their high school years acquire a suite of skills and and general knowledge that may applicable in a broad life, most Europeans schools counter by focusing more on what skills a person may actually need in life and try to sharpen them.
ReplyDeleteIn America, you have a growing problem where many people head off to college to learn specific skills and are unable to pay off the debt that they accumulate as a result of receiving a higher education. In many European countries, high school is the point at which you choose what you will focus on and do for the rest of your life. As a result, you acquire more practical skills. Some may not even need to go to college because you have the professional skills to complete what your occupation requires already. The problem presented with this situation is what if a person needed to switch careers? The "typical American" would be better suited at this because they have more generic abilities that can be applied to any field of study.
I think that an ideal education system is one that both sides of the argument. A high school should be more centered on what a person wishes to do with their life. However, it should not be so limiting as to force a person to only have one possible occupation planned out for them. There should be three main schools of thought. If a person wishes to pursue a career in engineering or medicine, they should be placed in the Science and Math School of Thought. If a person's favorite school activities are to write and study history, they should be placed in the Humanities School of Thought. If a person enjoys painting, playing an instrument, or playing a sport above anything else, they should be placed in the Artisans School of Thought. With this system in place, a person would spend time doing something they most likely will end up using while at the same time, they will leave open many opportunities for jobs.