What do teachers mean when they do this?

<p>Well I'm taking an AP Biology class right now and I have a lot of questions. I'm usually a shy kid in class so I don't like asking many of them in class. Instead, sometimes I go afterschool to my teacher and ask him questions (he's usually very busy and sometimes he says he needs to leave in a few min when I come in) and I also e-mail him a lot of questions. Okay, so sometimes he responds to my emails and sometimes he doesn't? I see him checking his comp every day so I don't know if he didn't see them or what. He has answered most of my emails but not responded to quite a few.. Is he just lazy or something? should I send the emails again (I don't want to annoy him) in case he missed them or something? I have tons of questions and I don't really want to ask all of them in class. so what should I do with all the questions I have? What do you guys generally do? Thanks.</p>

<p>It's your education and it's your teacher's job to answer all of your questions.
You should ask him in class if he got your emails to prod him into answering them. Maybe to reduce the amount of questions you have, you could look some up in your textbook or try to look it over on your own before asking your teacher.</p>

<p>In writing/email people usually feel like they have to be really professional and definitive with their answers, and sometimes it takes a long time to give good answers to questions (maybe half an hour if the teacher knows the material). Answers to biology questions can be several paragraphs long. (There's a reason your textbooks are so thick.) Most teachers probably aren't willing to invest that much effort for one student. Not to mention some teachers get irritated when students make their jobs harder.</p>

<p>My solution would be to find time to talk to the teacher verbally, so he feels he doesn't have to explain the answers as well. Or just do what most kids do and ask other kids for help. (Which can be rather hard/awkward if you're the best student in the class. As you probably are. Or if you're really shy.) Or alternatively, read and reread the relevant portion of the textbook or study aids/internet resources. After all, textbooks are supposedly written by the best teachers, aren't they?</p>

<p>By the way, it's great that you care enough about the class to ask a lot of questions. :) But absolutely do not resend the emails, since he probably just thought it was too much trouble to answer them, especially since it wasn't in front of the class so his reputation wasn't at stake.</p>

<p>I get the feeling you're in a public school and your teacher can't wait until the AP Bio exam is over...</p>

<p>If you really care about the answers to your questions keep bother him.</p>

<p>-The Public Coot66</p>

<p>Your teacher probably hasn't gotten around to answering the questions because:
1. The end of the year is just as busy for teachers as it is for students.
2. The teacher may be getting annoyed that you're asking so many questions by e-mail instead of in class. It takes far longer to respond to an e-mail than it does to answer a question in class. You need to deal with your shyness, which can be overcome by practice. I know. I used to be shy. I also used to be a professor.
3. You also may be asking questions that you could easily find the answer to via your textbook, Google or by listening more during lectures.</p>

<p>u need to go to ur high school counselor and discuss this problem...he is a teacher and his job is to teach, not to spend time with other things!!!</p>

<p>look at it this way, what if everyone sent emails rather than asking questions in class?</p>

<p>So should I split my questions so that I ask a balanced amount in class, in emails and out of class? Will that work? lol I have a list of questions right now ready to be answerd! =]</p>

<p>What are the questions? It seems to me that if you have an entire list of questions, you aren't paying enough attention in class. Either that or your teacher can't teach. Either way, research them a little bit on your own. And the ones you can't come up with answers on your own, ask in class.</p>

<p>Ask your questions in class. That's what class is for. And then the teacher can answer them so everyone can hear, because it is highly unlikely that you're the only one with those questions. If you really want the answers, get over your shyness. Your teacher is not your private tutor. (If you can't ask those questions in class, then get a private tutor other than your teacher.)</p>

<p>"It seems to me that if you have an entire list of questions, you aren't paying enough attention in class. Either that or your teacher can't teach"</p>

<p>I agree. I also think that if the problem is that the teacher can't teach, lots of students would be asking lots of questions in class. </p>

<p>Based on my own experience as a professor, I am guessing that you are asking trivial questions or questions that are answered in the textbook or thorough common sense.</p>

<p>I also agree with the person who said that if you have so many questions, get a private tutor or look up the answers yourself.</p>

<p>All of us could give you even better advice if you gave us a couple of examples of your questions.</p>

<p>He has answered most of my emails but not responded to quite a few.. Is he just lazy or something? should I send the emails again (I don't want to annoy him) in case he missed them or something? I have tons of questions and I don't really want to ask all of them in class.</p>

<p>The way you phrased that makes it seem like you're sending out dozens of emails in succession and if I were a teacher, that would annoy the hell out of me. </p>

<p>Why don't you condense down your emails and get it down to one-per-week? And don't forget about your textbook, I'm sure some of your answers are there, and Google is a good resort as well.</p>

<p>^ exactly my thoughts.</p>

<p>Sorry but you seem like one of those ppl who ask a bunch of common sense questions....what does the cell do? How long does it take to reproduce etc.... and the teacher might think you're being a prick and just trying to annoy him, or atleast thats what it seems like.</p>

<p>overcome your shyness, it's not excuse at this point of not asking questions now.</p>