Life
May 4, 2024

A colleague complains: "The problem in the school are the teachers"

Sigrid Wagner has taught for 20 years and finds that the wrong people become teachers for the wrong reasons: Now her book "The Problem is the Teachers: A Balance" has been published. We talked to her about alcohol in the teachers 'room, underprivileged boys and teachers' abuse of power.

Barbara.de: Why did you write this book?

I have been a substitute teacher for a very long time and eventually realized that the same mechanisms are used in all teacher rooms. I found so much abuse of power, dominance, dissatisfaction and lack of motivation.

Sigrid Wagner: You describe that a certain type of person becomes a teacher. Which one is that?

In fact, often very often insecure, anxious people. Anyone who has had a parenting evening knows that. Those who are afraid to leave school? who want to go back there. The one who would like to be officiated, so that he can relax. Usually these are people who ride bikes with arm protectors and knee protectors and sweat heavily in front of crowds because they are so nervous.

"Extremely unsafe teachers get every day the frustration of the class"

They say teachers are totally frustrated today. Why?

Because children immediately realize who they are facing. Extremely insecure teachers get every day the frustration of the class. They may even take a quick sip from the hip flask so that they can even enter the classroom. Many are overwhelmed as human beings but want to go through the curriculum with all their might and pressure from Pisa, the parents and the director. They can not get out of the situation either, there is no one to help them.

Do you consider verbiage useful?

No, that's the wrong motivation. This strengthens insecure people the idea that nothing more could happen to them. This is the Volvo phenomenon: the worst motorists buy a Volvo because they feel safe in it.

What is the solution?

Abolish the verbeamtung. She has no job in the teaching profession. It only creates unrest over injustice in the college. I did not want to be officiated. I was a substitute teacher in twelve subjects and had to change frequently. This is a model of the future that I see: this is how teachers could get out of their rut. Because this routine, coupled with stress, is really stress. Only a select few can do that. But there are many who come to school who simply can not think of anything else or who prevents the NC from studying what they really want. The image of the teacher is not catastrophic for nothing, it would have to be made before studying a better selection. For example, in Finland, there are only the best teachers who are self-confident and have personality.

"The high horse sitting on the teacher is no longer sustainable"

What makes a good teacher?

A good teacher brings life to school. He should bring a positive, resilient personality. He ideally has experience in other professions, I also worked as a saleswoman and was even self-employed. Every three years a teacher should take a look at other jobs? or have another education in parallel, so you can bring in this experience. I hope for the many newcomers who bring something like that. The tall Ross, sitting on the teacher, is no longer sustainable. It is so much complained about the students, it is part of the job to take care of them and even during the holidays to prepare lessons. After all, we need people in school who can be trusted and trusted. To approach the pupil as much as possible, even if he makes a fool of himself saying:? What you are doing is not right, but what you can do is something else. In addition, a teacher should discover and promote talents while not discriminating what good or supposedly inferior talents are. The distinction of? Good? and? bad? Children must not be.

The title of her book is radical. Not everyone can be bad ...

There are, of course, very good teachers, but they have a hard time. Because they are in the minority, and often do not find support at school or are even bullied by colleagues out of envy. The problem at school is actually the teachers. Unfortunately, countless analyzes give me that right. I should like to forgive the radicalism, but it is not enough just to talk about it over and over again. Even if it hurts and many teachers have to make a dreaded paradigm shift. Without any change in the profession of the teacher, we will completely knock the school system against the wall, considering the one million new students by 2025.

Have you been very hostile to the book?

I have already published an article in the mirror on the topic in 2016, that's why I'm used to a lot. I know there's a lot to come, but it just had to go out now. In fact, a former colleague told me that she was relieved because it finally wrote down one. Officials are not allowed to carry anything out of school, so they have to eat everything inside themselves.

They themselves are apparently not tenderly stringed, were sometimes called by the students as a "Colonel". Do you have to be strict as a teacher?

You have to radiate a certain sovereignty. It is important to send clear signals. I always had a companionship with the students, but you have to set limits. At best, just take a look. I could also be very strict, but only when it was about children's safety or when there was nothing to discuss. You need a standing, a natural authority.

"I think it's a homemade problem that everyone is afraid of the parents"

Can you learn this?

Difficult. I think you can or you can not. You have to bring that with the personality, you should have humor and be positive. For me, of course, the kids should also have fun, I wanted to sell knowledge about emotion, like a good seller. It just works best, and when you're working on brain research, it's been proven that learning only works sustainably when you hook up on what you've already learned about emotions. Our structure in schools must be prepared to have the willingness to learn from the best and to engage in teamwork. The colleagues also have to go to other classes, teach other subjects, help each other and above all work as a team. Then many things would be easier, especially for the many newcomers who will need help.

Speaking of teamwork, is it really hard to work with parents these days?

I think it is a homemade problem that everyone is afraid of the parents. The demarcation is wrong, parents feel when they are not welcome. As a teacher, I have to make it clear that together we want the best for the child. I have never experienced anyone complaining about my grades, even with Fives and Sixes. You can have natural, excellent parental talk, that's just a matter of will. Some colleagues are simply unfair and want to saw off certain children if they make you too much work. It is my job as a teacher to support the students and to tackle the problem of the student at the root.

But are not there many parents who have misconceptions about the performance of their children?

Of course there are, too. I am there as a mother? I have five children myself? sometimes even the collar burst on a parent's evening, when the parents have my only gifted children. There are often worlds between the perception of parents and teachers. Then it's up to a headmaster to create a climate that everyone knows, we appreciate feedback from the parents, but there must be limits. And there should be a complete college agree. Above all, however, the school should first create a trust that gives the parents the feeling: "Here are people at work who understand their job and do everything in the interests of my child that is possible and necessary."

They also write that many teachers drink but are not talked about. Is it really so bad?

Yes, that's very common. There are a lot of alcoholics in the teaching service who stagger into class. Nobody helps them. Otherwise, it is mostly complained and suffered. But teachers just do not stop because they do not dare to do anything else. The system has them firmly under control, in criticism and objections, the pecking order in the staff room mercilessly.

Debate and independent thinking are far too short at school

You also write what the student should look like ...

I talked to all sorts of students about it, and everyone agreed that it must be well-adjusted and as good as possible. Resistance I can only advise those who have a mother and a father who are lawyers (she laughs), Most teachers like it when the kids condescend to talk about it. This is especially difficult for guys. Debate and independent thinking are therefore much too short at school.

Do boys really have it harder?

Yes, that is true. It is true among teachers that you have to take care of a boy twice as much as a girl. For example, boys experience adolescence differently than girls. They want to measure themselves, they revolt, they become partially aggressive. Girls are sometimes a bit whiny, but they do more with themselves. You can comfort them rather, this is easier to handle. Guys are tackled wrongly, if the two pages should write, they write exactly two. Girls write 20 to score. They get the better grades and the boys feel unfairly treated and like losers.They are also often assumed to be blue or lazy. I experienced that myself with my children, I have four boys and a girl.

What do I do if my child has problems with a teacher?

Many parents today often go to the attorney right away, which I can understand because they are often not handled properly and have great fears because every parent wants the best for their child. But I can only advise parents in the best case to bring a solution directly. I did that myself in conversation with one of my sons. Not only moan, but say what might help, what strengths he has, how to best treat him, ideally, try to support the teacher. Maybe he does not say it immediately, but most are grateful for that.

Sigrid Wagner was born in 1955 in Goslar. She studied at the University of teacher training and was until 2014 teacher at all secondary schools in twelve different subjects and in the three federal states of Hamburg, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. In 2016, her Spiegel article "Der große Frust" was published. She lives with her family in Münster.