Teaching

[abeybaby]

With the ATAR-debate and quality of teachers, I think it's faulty to assume that people who scored highly in school will be better teachers.

Firstly, I've met many people who are brilliant in themselves, but unable to manage a classroom, communicate their knowledge, explain the basics in order for someone else to work their own way up to the teacher's knowledge, or figure out how to help someone learn who isn't as clever as they are.

agreed, which is why i never made the assumption. i said getting a low atar demonstrates that you'd be (most likely) unequipped to teach those going after high atars. If the teacher's knowledge isnt there, then they cant really do anything to help the student. but i never said that having a high atar implies that you will be a good teacher (cos thats rubbish).

Also, when you're teaching below VCE, the content really isn't that hard. Granted, at VCE level it can really help to know the material well, which is where a more academic teacher might come in handy. But! That's not going to be the same for all subjects. Does a highly-qualified Physics teacher need to have done well in every subject? Does an excellent artist and Art teacher need to have scored highly in more traditionally academic subjects? And teaching extends all the way down to 3yo kinder, too. I want a loving, supportive, patient and firm person teaching my hypothetical 3yo; I don't really care about their ATAR as long as they can read an analog clock and have received their 'pen licence'!

the atars i looked up were for secondary school teaching, not for primary school. i didnt consider the less-traditionally academic subjects such as art - thats a good point.

[enwiabe]

Meganrobyn, I absolutely agree that high ATAR most certainly does not mean good teacher. And I really agree about primary school teachers needing to be loving and nurturing as well as having a good knowledge-base rather than an extremely academically talented asshole who will scar children for life.

However, at a junior secondary level onwards, it must be said that a much larger proportion of people with higher ATARs are far better equipped to teach the material they know so well. And this quality is very desireable.

[paulsterio]

I don't think the ATAR alone is a good measurement of whether somebody can teach, however, I think it's a combination of two things:

1) A value for education as a whole and wanting the world to become more educated

Before we even talk about knowledge, we should talk about the valuing of education. Generally, you are right, students with high ATARs will care more about education than students with low ATARs, thus, high achievers might be better teachers, however, it might not be so. I know students who have gotten low ATARs not because they wanted to, but because of their circumstances. When those students then go on to university and learn more about their subject field, they become better at it because they essentially value education. I have also seen students with high ATARs dropping off to satisfactory university marks because they no longer have the motivation.

2) The ability to communicate and teach

This is important as well, I know a lot of amazing minds who cannot teach even if their life depended on it