Photo Essays: Classroom Pupil Studies: Relationships with Teachers
Figure 1.--Here we see boys chtting with their teacher after the class about something they did not fully understand. This is a common scene at prep schools.
|
|
One of the most important elements in the prep school program is the relationships whoch develop between teachers and pupils. A variety of factors are involved here. First, the classess tend to be small. Thus the teachers have the opportunity to get to know the children better than ca teacher with a large class. Second, prep schools have better discipline standards than state schools. Most children easily accept the standards that are expected. Those that don't are asked to leave. Thus the teachers do not have to wasr time on discipline problems. This helps to build positive relations between the children and the teachers. Third, boarding school teachers spend much more time with the children than teachers in the state sector. And many of the contacts are outside the classroom. This helps build a stronger relationship than that between pupils and teachers in the state system. Of course not all prep schools are boarding schools and there are day children at many boarding schools. But the boarding factor tends to be important. One element that we are unable to answer from our brief visits is the relative abilities of teachers in the private and state sectors. Our basic thought is that there are not aot of difference in the teachers and that the closer relationships comes from the prep school program. Here there are a few factors to consider. Prep schools are small businesses. An as small units, a staff members abilities and weakenesses generally surface faster than in larger organizations. And staff which disaapony are generally dealt with quicker thn in the state system. Teaching at a boarding school is very demanding, requiring a greater commitment than in the state system. Teachers and boarding schools by the mature of the institution tend to attracy very dedicated individuals.
