How to deal with a teacher you don’t click with
Let’s be real, there are some teachers whose teaching style just doesn’t match your learning style. Fear no more, here’s how you can make the best out of the situation:
1) Don’t give up
A lot of the time, you stop paying attention in lessons simply because of this brand you’ve given them. Whilst they may not teach in the way you prefer, it is important to not zone out and still try to pay attention and contribute in class. The things they say will still be useful to you. I also find it key to have a textbook/ revision guide open so that you can follow what your teacher is talking about. Reading and listening is much more effective than simply reading.
2) Communicate with them
As students, we sometimes forget how much power we actually have. If you know that a certain method of teaching works really well with you, there’s nothing stopping you from giving your teacher a suggestion. This could be e.g. to have a debate in politics, or to work on a certain part of grammar in french. It is likely that the teachers who are terrible are those who are new to teaching, so most will be very grateful for an idea or two. Generally teachers also act very different in a one on one situation to in front of the whole class, so it is advisable to talk to them after the class. Also, don’t make it sound like you’re actively giving them tips, be SUBTLE! E.g. ‘You would make a lot more sense if we did some practise questions’ is not as effective as ‘It would really help me understand the work better if we did some practise questions’.
3) Use your peers
You and your classmates are all in the same situation, so it can be helpful to discuss with them what they think. This way, you could all come up with a few suggestions and ideas for your teacher, and one person can subtly voice these in private to the teacher. If, even after you’ve given suggestions, the teacher still doesn’t change, you could always ask your peers if they understand what’s going on. In every class there will be someone who just gets it even without a good explanation, so it might be useful to talk about the topic to someone who gets it. A five minute conversation at break about the concept of moles could mean you don’t fail chemistry, just like someone giving you a summary on what is actually going on in that Shakespearean play you’re reading.
4) Use online materials
An important part of sixth form life is private study. The actual lessons, even though they may seem key, only make up a fraction of the time you spend doing the subject. Therefore, spend your private study wisely. Youtube videos are a great way to learn, and are often even better than teachers, as you can pause and rewind. Watching videos (I find) also often doesn’t seem like as much as a chore as e.g. making notes out of a textbook is.
Good luck!
-Fran
