In a few of my previous articles I have discussed what parents like about teachers and why some teachers get more requests from parents than others. Recently, I began discussing what it is about teachers that students like.
As stated in my article, I discussed how the age of the child typically determines what type of teacher the child enjoys the most. As the child ages and matures, his or her interests and needs change. Their likes and dislikes about teachers also change.
My first article described the characteristics of teachers that pre kindergarten and kindergarten students like best along with the intermediate age level. This article will continue to focus on specific age groups and what the students find most appealing about teachers.
Middle School Students
Middle school students are often a very tough group to teach. It takes a very special teacher to both do a good job and win the likes of these children. I know because I was once was one of these teachers. As you know I got out of that age group after four years. Middle schools students are typically not interested in school for learning or for work such as primary children. They are not interested in having a teacher be a friend and they usually would never admit that they thought their teacher was cool as seen in intermediate students. This group is at school for the social aspect. They typically do not like teachers who assign homework and tests. They do not like teachers who use discipline and contact parents. Therefore teachers who do not do their job are the teachers that get an “A” in a middle school student’s opinion. However, every now and then a special teacher comes along that somehow can win the hearts of the students and teach them. In my experience, men seem to be better at this than women. The students often give more respect to the male teachers. These teachers are typically natural born entertainers. They are funny, tell stories, and can easily relate the work to real life.
Related articles
What if You Hate Your Child’s Teacher?
Keeping in Touch with Teachers
When You Disagree with Decisions Regarding Your Child’s Education