When you were a K-12 student, what level of achievement did you accomplish in school?

 
TeAch-nology.com's Teacher Poll of the Week
When you were a K-12 student, what level of achievement did you accomplish in school?
top 10% of your school class. 48.3%
above average 29.0%
average 18.6%
below average 2.7%
well below average 1.4%

Total Votes: 948


 
 
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The majority of teachers reported that they were in the top 10% of their class when they attended school. This number accounted for close to half of the response, the other half was accounted for by those who reported they were above average or average. An incredibly small proportion of teachers reported that they were in the bottom two categories.

It is comforting to know that today's students are being taught by the best we have to offer. The top 10% and those who were above average made up more than three quarters of those who responded to this poll. Academic achievement not only means that a student is intelligent but it often relates to other skills as well, such as perseverance and determination. Having a good work ethic and trying to do one's best are a large part of doing well in school. These same traits are also a benefit in the teaching profession.

We want our teachers to be determined and to persevere when students don't understand. We need them to try their best so that our students can achieve their best. Not only does this help students with understanding course material but seeing these personality traits in teachers is inspiring and gives children something to look up to.

A lack of academic achievement is not synonymous with being unintelligent. There are many reasons that people do not do well in school. Boredom and rebelliousness could account for poor performance as could a learning challenge such as dyslexia. However intelligent these people may be the experience of school is often not a positive one. Achieving low grades, feeling bored, resenting authority or struggling to keep up with one's peers would certainly lead someone to dislike school. For these reasons it's not surprising that students who achieved low grades in school would not choose to become teachers as this poll revealed. Spending your whole working life in a school environment wouldn't be very appealing.

While getting good grades isn't the most important thing in the world, oftentimes the personality traits behind the grades are essential to future success. Knowing our teachers possess these traits means our children are in good hands.