Who needs to improve if more than half of the class fail, teacher or students?

I agree with you but I doubt if a teacher with more than half of her class with failing marks will admit that she failed along the way. I certainly believe that she is to be blamed. But I couldn't understand why this teacher would want to have a meeting with the parents. Will meeting with the parents help the students with failing marks improve their grades? I guess, the teacher has to do some reflection and probably has to change her teaching style.

I guess it's also a good way of helping the students. When I said the teacher is always to blame, I didn't mean that the students had no shortcomings. Those who failed probably didn't study. However, it's up to the teacher to find out why the students didn't. And one way to do that is to meet and talk with the parents.

Hmmm, by meeting with the parents, what is she trying to find out? Is she expecting that the parents of this more than half of her class lack support for their children? Or is she just trying to justify the result that more than half of her class failed. I am aware that students do have shortcomings but if more than half of the class failed, it says only one thing.... they didn't understand the lessons. Why? 1- Probably, the teacher is too intelligent for them and 2- probably the teacher couldn't adjust to the level of these students who are too slow to understand or to cope up with her standard. Good teachers look ways to adjust to their students and not the other way around. During our time, we're lucky to have teachers who don't set too high a standard for their students to reach out to their level. Instead they focused on the quantity of students who would surely understand the knowledge they had imparted which equals to quality and not on how students should adjust to the teachers' standard. Well beamer88, thank you for sharing your thoughts. :)

As I have mentioned earlier, teachers who teach effectively are the ones who are no so intelligent as they could go down to the level of the students just to make sure that they understand and learn something. This kind of teacher is sensitive to the needs of the students especially those who are slow learners. If a teacher can't adjust to the needs of the students, then probably, he/she has to tread a different path. Why share your knowledge when your students can't understand a thing of what you're trying to impart?

Now I agree with you Para Ted2K :) Thanks for the input. I guess, am off to a battle if ever there will be one (wink). Good night for real this time :) :)

Hi ParaTed. I share the same experience as you do. This happens back in college with our probability and statistics class. He really is good at the subject and very knowledgeable but he cannot effectively impart to us that knowledge he has. Instead of going down into our level he wants us to go up into his level. Yes I believe we can do that but not instantly. If you will read my post below only 2 or 3 out of more than 20 pass the exam. We approach our dean that time with our problem but still no change. Even the smartest guy on the class couldn't also catch up that easily to him. He's always emphasizing that he's good and that is to make the subject even difficult. This actually doesn't happen only to our section but to other sections as well. Complaints from students grow in number and then he was forced to leave. We don't want to end it that way but we are not learning anything and he is not even trying to reach us in what part we are having difficulties. I don't say it's the teachers who are always to blame but in situations like this their negligence makes them blamable.

That teacher definitely needs to rethink her teaching techniques if not ability. Is this a public school? College? I would say administration may need to look at the situation.

That's what I'm trying to point out earlier during the discussion. I agree with you laglen. Actually it's not half but more, more, more than half. The ratio was 8 students passed out of the 40 students in the class.

I agree with you. Yes, another mylotter mentioned that students lose their attention when a teacher is "soft". To add to that, yes a teacher with short temper couldn't teach effectively as well. I remember when I was in college, the teacher in our last subject was quite a bore. She lacks the ability to communicate with the whole class. When she talks, as if she was just talking to herself that almost everyone in the classroom was talking with each other and was not listening to her. And yes, the number of students in a class is also a factor. In the case I have presented, only 8 students had passed out of the 40 students in the class. Whew! Perhaps, the teacher needs to change her teaching style then. Good night Neirolovemoh and thanks for the interaction.

Yes Rain, you are correct. They are students and it naturally speaks in favor of them as they come to the classroom to know the subjects and if the teacher takes them for granted what would be the state of affair? There ae new thing and new pedagogical approach as to how we can make teaching learning interesting. The audio visual aids play a vital role for it attracts the attention of the students and they would be curious to know. We have to come out of the age old system of lecturing. Giving assignment, spot writing etc keep them occupied. Pls do not call me professor. I just happen to mention my profession.

Hi professor krajbg, nowadays majority of the students lack focus because of numerous distractions. Same goes with some teachers. I remembered passing by a classroom in one private university. The students were copying the lessons on the board while the teacher who was seated at the last row was engrossed with her cellphone, probably sending short messages or texting. I couldn't help but feel disappointed. No wonder some parents get freaked out seeing blank or half-filled pages in their children's notebook. During the time when cellphones have not yet been invented, teachers would roam around the classroom and would check the activity of each student. Before the bell rings, the teacher would initial on the pages where the students copied the lessons on the board. But modern technologies (cellphones, wi-fi internet,etc) have taken away the focuses of both teachers and the students. In the case I have presented for discussion, all I wanted to understand is that when MORE than half of the class has failed probably, it has already something to do with the teaching style of the teacher. I guess, he/she has to look for another way wherein his/her students can easily grasp what he/she is trying to impart. If only a few or say, half of the class failed, then I can see the reciprocal thing you have mentioned above.

Ooops! sorry Krajibg but it sounds good on you :). Anyway, you're very right. We're in a modern age now where various information technologies have been popping out like mushrooms and stealing away the childhood in every kid this early and yet the teachers still use old system of lecturing. They still make use of Manila paper or brown paper as visual aids since government universities lack the modern equipment like projector or computers in every classroom. And when student give their report in front of the class, teachers tolerate their way of just reading the content written on the book. What a boring way to listen. I might as well read the book myself at the comfort of my home. Spot writing is great as it can improve students' skill in writing. Many of the students nowadays couldn't write good English. I guess, teachers have to change their teaching style as what you have mentioned that the old age system of lecturing is still in use in today's time where computers and other modern gadgets are reigning the world and everyone's mind. Thanks you so much for your discussion. I'm learning. Good night... it's 2am now. Time to snore:)

Well, especially if the ratio is 8:40 - only 8 students passed out of the 40 students in the class.

The ratio is 8:40 - only 8 students passed out of the 40 students in the classroom. So doesn't it mean something here? Maybe it's a sign that clearly says that the teacher has to change her teaching style then? Probably the teacher is too smart for the students in the class or maybe the majority of the students in the class are slow learners.

Well, it's not half of the class but rather it's more than half of the class. In a case like this, I wanted to believe that something is wrong with the teaching style of teacher. Probably she has to impart her knowledge using simple terms which majority of the students could easily understand rather than use difficult terms which only a few could understand. Probably she has to go down a little bit to the level of the students to be able to reach them out than expect them to grasp to her level. There is this notion that has been circulating for years that a very intelligent teacher finds it hard to stoop down to the level of his/her students thus many of his/her students finds it hard to grasp the knowledge he/she has imparted. Very intelligent teachers have high expectation from their students and couldn't understand why it is hard for their students to understand what they are talking about in front of the class. Well, for me, most of the best teachers I have encountered had not been the brightest students in their class during their time and yet they are very good teachers because they were able to instill in our minds their teachings and the entire class is successful in different fields though.

In the case I presented, out of the 40 college students only 8 passed. So what does this number tells? Good for you, you passed. But if I were the teacher, I won't be happy that only 8 out of the 40 students have passed. It will reflect the my teaching style or probably I need to go down more to the level most of the students in my class who need my help. Besides, in reality, high grades are not assurance to a very successful life. Many of my friends who did not excel in their classes are financially successful than I am who had been consistently belonged to class A. Nevertheless, I don't envy them because somehow, I belong to the average-income earner and enjoy what I do everyday. Luck, hardwork and perserverance play a big role in one's life and not high grades. However, a teacher's role is to make sure that many of his/her students understand what he/she tries to impart or tries to instill in the students' mind. 3 out 20 students... tsk, tsk, lucky if I belong to the 3. But the ratio tells that the teacher needs to look for another way in reaching out for the students, especially in times where distractions are so high.