Teachers and selective schools (4 Viewers)

[Mark576]

Hey,

How do you think teachers will react when you tell them that you are going to move to a selective school next year ...happy or angry? I'm thinking happy since they've taught us and obviously (wink wink) they've done a good job if one of their students was to be selected. I'm just curious to know what you think since i'm going to have to tell my teachers soon and i'm afraid the last few weeks are going to be all ...*evil eyes* from the teachers. :rofl:

Thanks

 

[Nakashima]

Your teachers' reactions shouldn't really influence your decision. So don't feel too bad if they react negatively because it's probably because they are unwilling to lose a good student.

Being teachers, they should understand the importance of the HSC and how school ranking can impact a student's UAI.

 

[Mark576]

Hey, thanks for the replies, nah i'm not letting teachers influence my decision, i was mainly asking out of curiousity.

Btw, how do teachers at a selective high school compare to those at your average comprehensive school (ranked 100-200)? Better? Pretty much the same?

 

[glitterfairy]

Depending on the school they can be "just the same" or "mostly good".

The teachers I had during my HSC year were the bomb - it wasn't until after I finished that I realised just how well they'd prepared all of us (my grade ended up coming 4th in the state that year). We have had some ROYAL duds in lower grades and as subs though... whilst all my Yr 12 teachers made sure we got decent subs most of the time, I've had some shockers that just point to the chalkboard and pull out the "Oh but you're a selective school, you should be able to pick this up by yourselves" line. Um, no. We pick up faster, but you still need to TEACH!!


I remember my Yr 11 maths teacher tell us about the time he was working at a regular public school and advised a few of the students that if they worked hard, they could get into Ruse (and they did). He got told off majorly by the school though, but he knew he did the right thing.

 

[z600]

I told my teacher i am leaving and stuff...they dont have a fuss about it. They are more curious than pissed off at you. Some just go "i'll miss you" "Hope u like it," "A new environment" etc. As long as your teacher are not some tightass, should be find to tell them your leaving.

 

[vulgarfraction]

My headmistress tried to stop me.

My maths teacher at first was like "you're kidding, right?" and tried to stop me and then wished me luck.

 

[Black Hawker]

Well, when I told I got selected to Penrith, most of the teachers were happy, except the deputy principal who didn't want me to go (probably because I had a scholarship with them from the local RSL, but I didn't take the money with me though.....). Anyway, most of the teachers at a selective schools are the same or even better, but there are some that are not.

 

[priesty]

I go to a selective school too, and let me assure you, you will definately find some shockers in among the brilliant teachers that are there. I was really lucky to get awesome teachers for my senior years... others didn't. I remember one Year 11 Prelim Chem class last year had about 3/4 of the class drop because the teacher couldn't teach them....

But generally, the quality of teaching should be better. Don't forget, that it's also aided by the fact that everyone in a selective school is more concerned with study and achieving etc... so it helps the teachers out from that perspective.

 

[Mark576]

Ok, suppose my school is ranked around 300 (??) or so ...and i'm ranked 1st for maths, science etc. and the top ten for all the other subjects.

What would be an equivalent ranking out of say 200 students for a selective school ranked in the top 10?

 

[priesty]

It's really hard to tell. Each school would be different. And every grade/year will be different as well.

I think the one thing you've got to anticipate is that you'll find a lot of changes in terms of work requirements, pressure, studytime and that general stuff. You may struggle a bit at first even to keep up the their level, depends on the school and what everyone else in that grade is already experienced in achieving.

As long as u set ur mind to it, and do the work, there's nothing stopping you getting brilliant results and brilliant marks in whatever school you go to.

 

[specialkay]

Hey,
I'm in a similar situation like you! Next year, I'm moving to a selective school as well and I've only told one of my teachers so far! The one I told took the news pretty good. She's actually one of my favourite teachers and she congratulated me and said she'll miss me being around. I'm just worried that the others will take it as a insult that I'm not satisfied with the school I'm in now and just hate me afterwards lol. I reckon that you should just break the news when you're leaving and you have to sign out because then it'll save you heaps of trouble and questions. Hope it all goes well! good luck!

 

[SoulSearcher]

I'm just worried that the others will take it as a insult that I'm not satisfied with the school I'm in now and just hate me afterwards lol.

Nah, don't worry about that at all

Threadstarter, just say it to your teachers, don't worry about their reactions to the news, if you haven't already told them.

 

[wynnedoze]

Well, selective schools don't really have dibs on the best teachers. I know that a lot of teachers at my school (or is it ex-school now?) are well below par.

its not that they have dibs on the best teachers, just that more teachers apply for the jobs at selective schools cause theres more extension and stuff that is taught. so whoever chooses the new teacher gets to choose from more people, so is more likely to get a really good teacher. yes, people actually want good teachers at their school...

 

[simonloo]

its not that they have dibs on the best teachers, just that more teachers apply for the jobs at selective schools cause theres more extension and stuff that is taught. so whoever chooses the new teacher gets to choose from more people, so is more likely to get a really good teacher. yes, people actually want good teachers at their school...

Actually, I think you get appointed to teach at a school. My Year 7 history teacher told me.

 

[melhoneybee]

its not that they have dibs on the best teachers, just that more teachers apply for the jobs at selective schools cause theres more extension and stuff that is taught. so whoever chooses the new teacher gets to choose from more people, so is more likely to get a really good teacher. yes, people actually want good teachers at their school...

selective schools are preferential postings meaning that most of the teachers who end up there have a lot of experience and have worked up enough points to get into a good school.
I went to both a selective and mainstream high school-the selective school had much better teachers in general, but the biggest difference was that 99% of students wanted to do well as opposed to 10% at my other high school

 

[Jachie]

Tamara, my primary school was fucked up too. We had the deputy principal sleeping with the head of Infants (true, not just a rumor - my mother was close with the teacher who was head of Infants, so she knows all the dirty details) and fighting about whether or not they should have kids in front of a Year 2 class. We also had a sixth grade teacher who hit kids, and was seen cackling when she was fired.

 

[Kujah]

One word about my primary school - CRAP.

 

[topdeck]

I think that teachers at public and selective are probably the same, but there is more pressure on selective school teahcers to produce good results and to provide an adequate education, where as at public there is litte to no monitoring of what is being taught in classrooms (well at least in my experiences). Also, as the other posters pointed out, a HUGE part of it is the students. At a selective, your surrounded by people who wan't to do well, who for example, if the teahcers were bludging and not teaching well, would do something about it, opposed to a public where the majortity of students would be like..."Score! No work!"

If that makes sense.

 

[Kujah]

if the teahcers were bludging and not teaching well, would do something about it, opposed to a public where the majortity of students would be like..."Score! No work!"

:uhhuh:

 

[furansugo]

I too am commencing the coming scholastic year at a selective school, but with the primary differentiation that I reside in Victoria (Melbourne, to be precise).

Keep in mind that the two Victorian selective schools begin at year 9, so leaving my current school during the middle of my secondary education was inevitable.

I received notification that I was offered a place in early August, but unfortunately my future school just HAD to contact my previous principal about the offer. Thankfully, he didn't mention anything until my parents and I formally lodged my letter of departure. That began the downwards spiral...

Being a laptop school, my principal immediately sent an email concerning my 'resignation' to all staff members. I was actually anticipating informing my favourite teachers about my 'angsty' desicion, but of course, I was stripped of this opportunity.

How did my teachers take it? Well...

The director of music refused to look at me in the eye for two months.
My Japanese teacher attempted to convince me that it's always possible to return, and students have done so in the past.
One of the year 5 teachers (to whom I had corrected her misconceptions about the creator of penicillin 4 years previously) yelled at my mother, "You're taking her away from us!" - quite ironic that 'her' was referring to me, as I have a younger sister who was once in her class.
The principal chastised my mother in the hallways, but offered to hold my place and scholarship.
My English teacher asked my why I was moving to a state school... and so on.

However, some of the teachers took the news very well, and could see the depth and heavily debated reasons concerning my move. Many stated that they thought that the top school in the state would offer me a plethora of of opportunities that wouldn't be accessible at any other school, and most could comprehend that I was longing for some social stimulation. In fact, my science teacher admitted that although she loved instructing me, she sincerely wished that I forged friendships and constructed life long bonds with students who wouldn't ostracise me.
The truth is, the key justification to perseving with the (hopefully initial) trauma of moving schools was that I could assosiate with kind, benevolent peers who could tolerate my interests, and accept my fascination with thought.

After all, what's the point of ploughing through youth without truly being yourself?

My new transition will involve a huge adjustment (as will all of yours), but in the end, I'm sure it'll be worth it.