It’s known that different teachers teach in different ways. Two teachers who instruct the same class might go about doing something similarly or may be vastly different in their approaches. As a result of these differences, you will often hear students complaining about having certain teachers or being grateful that they got a certain teacher. But are these differences necessarily a problem?
Students will always have complaints about some teachers. Some claim that certain AP teachers don’t prepare you well for the AP exam and are too lenient in their grading. Others will claim certain AP teachers focus too much on exam preparation and are overly harsh in grading. Complaints about teaching style obviously aren’t limited to just AP teachers, though. Students may complain about being graded harshly in on-level or honors classes, or that these classes are too easy and boring. They often say things like ‘the teacher only reads from the board’, ‘they don’t actually teach what’s on the tests’ or ‘the unit tests are too hard’.
Teachers simply have various ways of educating their students. Some are definitely more strict in grading while others are more lenient. Some teachers offer more retake opportunities than others. Some are less responsive to questions from students than others. Some teachers lecture more than others while some create more open classroom environments where class is more student-led. Different students have different preferences for learning styles, so there are always some students that aren’t happy with the teacher they get for a semester.
There’s no doubt that dealing with all of the different styles of teaching can be frustrating for a student. Differences in teaching styles between teachers forces students to adjust from class to class and from semester to semester. However, learning how to adapt as a student to succeed in different classes, regardless of the teaching style, is a valuable skill.
After high school, if you choose to move on to college you will get different professors with very different teaching styles. These professors might teach like teachers you have had before, or they might introduce you to a totally new style of teaching. However, students who are used to adjusting to different teaching styles should be able to adapt to the varied approaches of their professors as well, which will help them through college.
If you choose to work directly after high school, or already have a job, you will know that different managers have different management styles. Whether it is more involved or more detached to workers or whether the management style is more strict or more laid back. Understanding what your employer expects from you and being able to provide that is key to succeeding in a job.
No matter where you end up or what you end up doing, it is very likely that you will have some sort of supervisor, professor or boss at some point in your life. Being able to adjust to different styles of working, expectations and methods of communication is highly important in one’s career. So, the fact that teachers often teach differently from each other is actually beneficial and can help us after school in whatever profession we choose to go into.
