Good Teachers vs. Bad Teachers: Who Are You Listening To?
What do students actually think about their teachers? In this episode, I sit down with Marco, a recent high school graduate and current school custodian, to discuss education from a student's perspective. His insights reveal what students notice, what they remember, and why teaching may be even more complicated than we think.
7/1/2026
🔹 What Students Actually Notice About Teachers
Teachers spend a lot of time wondering whether they're doing a good job.
But have you ever stopped and asked students what they actually notice?
In this podcast episode, I sat down with Marco, a recent high school graduate who is now a school custodian and college student. His perspective offered some interesting reminders for educators.
🔹 Good Teacher or Bad Teacher?
One of the most interesting moments came when Marco challenged the idea that there are simply "good" teachers and "bad" teachers.
His belief was that much of a student's experience depends on their mindset and connection to the subject.
For example:
📚 Students may struggle in a class they already believe they're bad at.
🎯 Personal interest often impacts engagement.
🤔 Two students can have completely different experiences with the same teacher.
It's a reminder that teaching is often more complex than we realize.
🔹 The COVID Effect
Marco also shared what it was like returning to school after COVID.
Interestingly, he remembered students being excited to return and appreciating the opportunity to be back in classrooms with their friends and teachers.
While educators often focus on learning loss, students experienced something else as well:
A renewed appreciation for being together.
🔹 What Custodians Wish Teachers Knew
As a school custodian, Marco also provided some practical advice.
A few simple things make a big difference:
🪑 Push chairs in before leaving
🗑️ Clearly label large trash items
📦 Place trash near collection areas
✏️ Keep unnecessary clutter off the floor
Small actions can save custodians valuable time when they're responsible for cleaning multiple classrooms each night.
🔹 Final Thought
One of the best parts of education is hearing perspectives we don't normally hear.
Teachers spend years thinking about students.
Sometimes it's worth pausing and listening to what students—and former students—think about us too.
Their perspective may teach us something valuable.
If you want to watch the full podcast episode where I go into this in more detail:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar6SsrZcnQA&list=UULFQOIbqNhb_gseSVU6bE3uUA