TEACHER FAILS

Teachers have a tough job and I am willing to give my kids' teachers a lot of grace.

But there are certain practices that I have little patience for. Here are three:

• Making negative blanket statements to the students about their class as a whole. "You all are just being lazy." "Did any of you study for this test?"

• Directing sarcasm at students, either individually or as a group. "Wow. You all got that answer correct - I knew eventually we would find a question you knew the answer to."

• Being unable to admit that if you give a quiz or test that everyone bombs, the fault is yours alone. You have failed as a teacher: either the test was poorly designed or the lessons were poorly delivered. Instead of shaming the students, you should be apologizing to them. 

(In my teaching days I was sometimes guilty of the first two, but never the third.) 

As a parent I can see this more clearly than I ever did from the front of the classroom: if a child leaves your room feeling stupid and defeated, you have fundamentally failed as a teacher.