That's too bad about that particular teacher. But to make a broad sweeping statement about all teachers based on that one weird teacher is totally unfair. I had a job interview at another school today. I was asked to observe a biology class going on. When some of the kids looked like they were not getting it, I jumped in to explain the topic another way. A couple of girls stayed after the class ended to thank me for making it clear for them. Back at the original school, a couple of students were staying after helping their (very young) biology teacher. Seeing several aquaria in the room, I asked for a microscope, slides and a pipette. I sampled the water in the aquaria with the pipette and prepared slides of the water drops. There were some cool protozoans and rotifers in the water, as I knew there would be. I showed these to the kids, who were fascinated. I also identified the fish in one really big tank as being from 4 different continents and answered some of their questions about why these fish, from wildly different genera, would not breed with one another. The kids stayed after class to tell me how much they appreciated what I showed them.
OK, condemn me for sitting there with an iPad or something.
“But to make a broad sweeping statement about all teachers based on that one weird teacher is totally unfair.”
Agreed - but it has been more that one bad teacher. But the majority do the best they can. And a few are motivated to go the extra step to pass on THEIR love of the subject to the kids that are willing. Like you and the fish tanks! (Cool!)