Do you think teachers even care anymore??

Question

I was just reading an article about education in America. I just relized that it's not only the lack of funding in schools, but it's the teachers as well. I can name more than 3 teachers of my past that simply didn't care. I never liked those teachers who always complained about their salary, but I always thought: "WHAT THE h**l DID YOU PAY TO GO TO COLLEGE TO BE A TEACHER FOR?!" and if they weren't really a teacher, then why did they accept the job? I would like to have a teacher who just likes to teach, enjoys a childs presence, and understand that some of us just don't understand. There are not enough teachers out there the are willing to reach out and help a student now-a-days. They just tell you a page number, give you a worksheet and either sit at their desk, or leave the room. And yes I've had more than 3 teachers like that. It's ridiculous...so do you think we need new teachers? Do they even care anymore?

Answer 1

I am going to college to be a teacher because I also do not enjoy having those teachers who just give out worksheets. Ever since the No Child Left Behind law was passed, teachers have been focusing more on just standardized tests. No one really teaches anymore. I hope that all changes. When I am a teacher, I am going to make sure my students learn as much as they can while actually enjoying their time at school.

Answer 2

I do think that there are some teachers who don't care anymore.  The system has so ruined them and their passion for their job that they're almost just going through the motions.  I also think that there are ALOT more students now who could care less about getting an education about school.  They're more concerned about socialization and their cell phones than classes.  I've been lucky this past year to work with a building full of teachers that truly love their job, and it showed in all of the students.

Answer 3

I'm a teacher and I care very much. But there is a cost to caring. We face disillusionment and burn out.

In college, we're Idealistic, believing every child can succeed, that we can reach them and possibly make a small positive difference in their life. Then we get thrown into the "real" world where our caring (appropriate) touch can be grounds for suspicion and lawsuits. Where we are told that getting involved in a child’s life will backfire so we should just come in teach the curriculum and go home (but leave no child behind); where we face overcrowded classrooms, endless piles of paper and plans, and enormous amounts of pressure, stress, and time constraints. Many teachers today are operating in "survival mode”. Teaching alone is mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. And that's just the instructional part.

Those who care the most get hurt or broken hearted the most. The needs of our students far out weigh our ability to meet those needs. It's heartbreaking, frustrating, disappointing and affects us deeply. After a while, it seems there's only so much we can give and so much we can take.

So, to survive and protect ours and jobs, some of us "shut down" like those three teachers you had. I'm sure when they started they never pictured themselves being the teachers you describe, but it happened. Unfortunately, it’s happening more and more.

To answer your question, yes! We do care AND we need more new teachers. More are leaving the profession (which can be good if they are burnt out), many that start don't stay, and fewer are entering the wonderful world of teaching.

To those teachers that give their time, energy, love, and heart to your students, thank you very much. Thanks for the sacrifices you make every day to make that small positive difference to at least one child.

Answer 4

some do care but they are hard to find!!! i just had to take my kid out of a teachers class because he was coming home all the time very upset. that lady made me mad!!! he's only in grade k. he's going into the 1st grade. but the teacher that he has now is great!! if my son has a problem he talks with him to figure out how to solve it.i really like this teacher. the best thing you can do is-

* meet up with the teacher you child is going to have before they start school

*make a list of all the questions that you have and bring it with you

*make sure that you are able to pop in the class room to see how things are doing UNANOUCED

* after school has started make sure to talk with you child and ask them how they like  their new teacher, is you teacher nice? how do you like your new teacher? ect...

*chose a day to spend sitting in at the back of the classroom watching how the teacher teaches

*ask the teach what it was that made her want to become a teacher in the 1st place

*ask around to other moms and dads to see if any of their kids have had this teacher and what they think of her

*WHEN YOU MEET THE TEACHER DO YOU GET A GOOD OR BAD FEELING FROM THEM

i really do think that it is very hard to find a teacher that really really cares. it seems like to most of them its " just their job" and that they do not have a love in what they do.others are just crule!! i know that all the taxs that i pay to go to my kids schools are not being used for the right things!!! i want badly to take my kids out of public school because a good  CARING teacher is so hard to find!!!

Answer 5

someday see what the GOVERNMENT is having the teachers do.  There is more paperwork, tests and rules out there which tie teachers' hands.  They no longer are allowed to TEACH a student, they must now teach to the test.  Also classrooms have 30 or higher students per teacher with no aid!  It's not that they don't care, though there are a few out there who actually don't and are only in it for the money, it is that they are disheartened by the fact they can't be creative, can't work one on one with their students and find their hands are tied with a lot of stupid rules and regs!  No, I don't think we need new teachers, I think we need a new school system without government interference!

I am one who did not go into teaching, even though most of my family are/were teachers.  Even the younger ones who have just gotten into teaching are disgusted.  My mother (at the age of 73) retired from teaching, not because of her age, but because she was not being allowed to teach the kids what she knew they needed!

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Those three teachers you speak of probably were burned out. New teachers are full of life and hope and ideas. They have not had the rug pulled out from under them...yet.

After a few years the idiotic rules that hold teachers back start eroding the enthusiasm which is so important. Look around. Did you ever notice who really does not belong in some of your classes? How many people were "passed" when they shouldn't be? It wasn't the teachers fault. It is law that a student can be held back (flunked) twice. How many students are in your classes? What is the amount of students allowed by law? What can be done about overcrowding? Can't afford to hire more teachers to make classes smaller. Ask your favorite teacher if he/she ever spends their own money for class supplies. I bet you that they have.

You ask why someone would go to college, get $30,000 in debt, and end up trying to do a job the public is trying their darnedest to keep you from doing. Remember what I said about the new teacher?

Answer 7

I know what you mean, it's a shame seeing those in a profession that don't have a passion for it.  I'm a kindergarten teacher and get paid donuts because i'm still in the process of getting my bachelor's degree, but i absolutely love being with kids.  too many teachers are in the teaching profession for god only knows what, because it is apparent they don't give a sh*t about anything but their paycheck.  they certainly need a wake up call, hopefully they'll get theres sooner than later...

Answer 8

This is what happens when teaching becomes a job and not a proffession. In our days though teachers werent the best paid, they were a dedicated lot, who always strove for results. Nowadays too you do find a few of them.

Answer 9

It seems to be something that goes both ways.

There are teachers who don't care and there are students who don't care.

Teachers who don't care breed students who don't care.

Sadly, students who don't care breed teachers who don't care as well...

I've been teaching for a number of years now and I am also currently taking some more University.

Some of the classes I teach contain motivated students, some don't. But I care and put effort into things. Even after two years with the same class, where the students have poor response, it is easy to care. In most cases, even the worst students will have glimmers of response. This is rewarding and elicits an emotional repsonse.

On the other hand, there are other teachers that I know around here who really don't care. To them, it's just another paycheck. Even still, they do end up getting students who care about their own learning, but when this happens, the teachers usually respond. Even if it's just a little.

I will say though that the teacher who has zero response to a student displaying genuine interest is rare indeed.

From the teacher's point of view, it is indeed important that the students do the learning on their own too. You may be misinterpreting their desire to see you work independently as not caring. If a teacher truly doesn't care, this will be evident when you take them to task for their attitude. If a teacher cares, they will be hurt by the suggestion that they don't care.

If a teacher really doesn't care, they will laugh it off or ignore it.

There are many reasons that a teacher might just hand out worksheets and sit at their desk/leave the room.

They might not have any idea what else to do (University Education gives them that... it's good for some things, but frequently highly overrated). They might feel that there is no choice due to curriculum demands being tight. They might feel that the class never listens when they speak, so it's best to just let the class learn from their work without being told what to do...

How can you find out what is the case with your teacher?

If you really want to know, communicate with the teacher. Write a small note. Start with something positive. Indicate sincere interest. Either in the person or in the lesson.

Do this and you might learn something other than what is written in the course-books.

Incidentally, I'm not American and I never went to an American school, but I have been exposed to the education systems of quite a number of places, including several European countries, Asian countries and a few South American countries. I'm of the opinion that American education is among the worst in the world. From the curriculum to the school environment to the body of educators to just the simple results of education in the people who pass through that system - regardless of the level.

If you want an education, go get it. Don't depend on someone to give it to you.