No Two Teachers Are the Same…

This week, I attended a book launch at the University of Sydney for a new publication that investigates exemplary teaching practice. Central to the findings of the research is something that many educators already know: each teacher will teach the same content and skills in their own unique way, and exemplary teaching practice is most often found when it is grounded in the teacher’s own personality and their relationship with their students.

At times, girls can become caught up in comparing their teachers, the resources they use or the way they organise their lessons. This comparison is unhelpful and can often lead to unnecessary anxiety and, worse, the undermining of teachers. Looking into a classroom across the hallway and wondering what they are doing, rather than focusing on the relationship with the teacher in the room, can undermine a student’s confidence and performance.

At Meriden, we have teaching staff who are diverse in their interests, passions, and approaches to teaching. While our staff are highly collaborative and often share common resources with each other and with their students, what happens in lessons will be different, and it should be. We do not want teachers teaching from a script, as this limits creativity, critical thinking, and appropriate differentiation in the classroom.

If you find your daughter unhelpfully comparing her teachers, encourage her to remember that no two teachers are the same, and that while teaching styles may be different from what she is used to, the variety of teachers she experiences during her time at Meriden will enrich her learning.