There are definitely bad apples, as in any profession. Sometimes they are just tired out teachers who have lost their spark. It's not an easy job, overall. Other times, they are inexperienced and ineffective. It takes a few years to figure out how to teach in ways that can excite kids, yet still maintain an effective classroom environment.

I recall my years in school. There were a handful of really good teachers, the bulk seemed mediocre to me, and a couple of really bad teachers. Techniques in those days were lecture and worksheets. No hands on, no projects. Praise was scarce, criticism ample. School was boring and unpleasant. But I got a very good education.

Now, we cater to shorter attention spans (due to tv, video gaming, etc) with multi-media presentations and hands-on activities; we worry over children's self-esteem and how well they are adjusting, we consider a variety of learning styles to allow all children to excel as best they can, and on and on. And yet the test scores are poor!