Graffiti 2009-10

CLAIRE RICKER

Almost any life decision can be made simply and easily. For example, you could be shopping and find a great shirt that you just have to try on. But as you rummage through looking for your size, to your dismay, no “mediums” exist. Yet you are a perfect medium. You could search the entire store for the shirt in your size or, easier, buy a size small shirt. Shopping for the right teacher is just like shopping for the perfect shirt. You want flexibility, quality, originality, and easy wear. Why do we shop? Should we be shopping for our teachers? There are students who stick to their strengths and interests and take classes no matter who the teacher is, like Simon Teong, a recent North Toronto grad, who said, “In grade 11, I picked my courses based on the material that was taught in the class regardless of the teacher”. However, another student said, “I wasn’t really influenced by other people’s opinions but granted, by grade 12, many people have been at NT for long enough to have their own favorites”.

For many grade elevens going into grade twelve, the classes they choose this year are the most important. The teachers do matter because students want to have the best possible marks for their top six courses for university. In the junior grades, students are still exploring their likes and dislikes so the teachers they get are not such a big deal. Caroline Bloss, a grade 12 student said, “[in the past] I choose my classes for my electives but I didn’t consider my teachers. I didn’t know the teachers well enough then.” By grade 11, we do. Let’s face it, all students judge teachers. They could have friends in older grades that offer opinions on teachers, or they might have trustworthy siblings who will do the same. Frequently asked questions, for example, are about the amount of homework a teacher gives, or, more importantly, whether they are a hard or easy marker. Amy Lee said “when I ask older students and they say a certain teacher is unrealistically hard, I reconsider taking the course. I think that my marks in grade 12 are important!” Some students will bluntly ask their current teachers who will be teaching the course next year. Do you also notice that when those coloured course sheets come about more questions arise like, “who is teaching Calculus next year?” and “are you going to be teaching English next year?” Students are eager to know if their favourite (or least favourite) teacher is going to be teaching the class they want to take. Then there are students like Michelle Mayer, another recent NT grad. I asked whether she considered her teachers when picking out her grade 12 courses. She said, “In my case, because I was interested in pursuing both arts and/or science programs at university, I picked most of my courses to fill university prerequisites and then, with the space I had left, courses that sounded interesting. But I’m sure there are a number of people with more flexibility who may have chosen courses based on the teacher teaching.” Therefore, some students feel that if they want to be successful they should pick their prerequisites, then their courses, then their teacher.

What about the teachers? Do they know that students are secretly evaluating them? I spoke to Ms. Wolfe, an English teacher who is presently on maternity leave, and I asked her about her views on students picking their courses based on the teachers (and yes I have come to a conclusion that many students do). Her answer was simple, “I think they do.” It didn’t come as a surprise to her that students do this. I then asked Ms. Wolfe whether in grade 12, when marks matter the most, students should be considering who their teachers will be when choosing courses. Her answer was the same: “they do.” Alright, so I haven’t learned anything that I didn’t know before.

But then Ms. Wolfe continued her thought: “the most important thing to think about is the courses. For the English department, each teaching team designs the course together and our expectations are all the same.” So yes, teachers do know that some students pick their classes based on the teacher, but, as students, we are missing the larger picture which is that the curriculums are ultimately the same.

Yet this brings up a good point. Is it really the teacher who is easy or difficult, or is it the class itself? A grade 12 student said, “well I’m sure everyone has teachers they prefer and I’m no exception. Most of the teachers I have this year are those I’ve had before and I did feel a bit more comfortable in those classes at the beginning of the year because I was familiar with the expectations.” All teachers, according to their departments, teach the exact same things. The projects don’t vary (much) from class to class but it is the way teachers present the information. Rebecca Berends, a senior, said, “I believe that a class is only as good as the teacher. Even if it is good material, we won’t learn it or enjoy it if the teacher doesn’t make it interesting.”

So in the end, after you’ve had time to actually wear the size small shirt, does it not feel a bit snug? Should students be picking their courses based on the teacher, or should they want to take a class that they love and hope they fit with the teacher? Who knows, you picked you’re classes and, if the shirt fits, wear it remembering that shirt is going to be in your wardrobe for a long time!