I am a teacher, just as I am a student myself. So, permit me to dish blames and praises to both sides(if it comes to that).
One thing that I have cone to learn and understand about teaching and eventual learning is that it takes time, patience, and so much effort. It is one thing to teach and another for the student/child to learn.
Image is mine
You know, I firmly believe that teaching and learning go just beyond the classroom walls. Environment, pattern of teaching, a child's learning pace and preferential/approiprate mode of grasping, materials available, attention to the child, guardian/parental involvement, interest and a lot others have a part to play.
In previous posts, I have recounted the ups and downs of my experiences, and I would refrain from repeating them again.
During the times while I was actively teaching, I had students who were very eager to study, I had the one that would cry through the class, I had the one who was struggling to keep up, I had the one(s) that were very much on the lower part of the ladder in the class and were evidently struggling, among others.
Apart from the discipline that some of the kids lacked, I came to learn that they received little support and push at home. There were the kids there whose parents made sure they studied everything we had gone through in the day and attended to their assignments. There were some whose parents paid little to no attention to, and most of the time, they returned to the class the following day with their assignments undone. It was enough for parents in the latter category that they had paid their fees. I would assume that they thought that it was all now in the teacher's hands, forgetting that we all played a part somehow.
I put so much time, effort, and even emotions(which shouldn't be, I presume) into teaching. I stop at nothing to ensure that every child I tutor learns every subject/topic that they should solidly. I kid you not when i qrite that there's barely any technique thar I know which I had not employed as I taught, as situation demands and as the child's learning capacity may vary.
No child is unteachable. I know so. There's always thar one tiny, little trick that could change it all. But I would like to think that except a teacher neglects duty he/she is not liable to a child's failure. Do you even know the tremendous joy that teachers feels when their students excel? Do you know the feelings of inadequacy and internal turmoil/questioning a teacher goes through when a child fails? You may, or not. But I know how it feels.
Even just as a home educator, I know how I seem to swell whenever I walk around and someone points at me as the one tutoring 'all those children that are always receiving awards for excellence at the end of term.' Argh, the pride!
Maybe some teachers care little, but I don't.
Even as a student, i could still approach the subject same.
Take this scenario as an instance. Going by the events of this semester that I just finished in school, I have had my own experience as regards this topic. There were lecturers who showed up, there were those who simplify teaching and gave understandable, sufficiently readable and simplified materials, there were those who barely came by class, there was one or two who seemed to care little. But, inspite of these, i understand that I have to do my part to help myself. Maybe with you get children, it's a little different with this topic, but it's mostly connected.
As a teacher, it was their responsibility to show in and show up. And as a student I owe myself the responsibility to study. But in all frankness, I quite neglected that. I kept procrastinating the study, shuffling through classes, not tasking tests and assignments and projects seriously. Now, how would you expect that a student acts just as I did and perform excellently?
You know, I may only quickly blame a child's failure on the teacher if the child barely gets enough attention, which may mostly happen if there's a large number of students in the class and even at this, the fault lies with the management, right?
Like, the act of teaching and learming is not a one- man affair. It takes two, even more.
The thing here is, while you blame the teacher, is/are there not other student(s) who os/are scaling through the classes and making good grades?
All I'm saying is that the blame could be on either of them, or both, or other factors. There's just some thibgs to consider.
Thanks for gracing this post.
Greetings!