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As a veteran teacher I believe local methods should be honored as this allows teachers needed flexibility that can be used to to the advantage of the students. I have worked in a variety of educational environments and have used different methods, sometimes from class to class within the same school. It's not just varied learning styles, but sometimes the dynamics of the personalities within a classroom that dictate how I teach a lesson. I don't think it should be a "whatever feels good " attitude, but teachers are professionals and have the training to be able to make certain decisions within the parameters of good teaching. As a woman I know that what fits my tall slender daughter may not work on my 5'4" frame. But, we can often share tops and we like the same jewelry. Just as in the classroom, what works for one class, school, or community may not work for another. There are, however, many tried and true methods that can be applied to many different situations.

I am often leery of new "programs" that claim to be the answer to all the academic woes. I have found over the years that some of these are good, but that many times it is just a rehashing of an old idea that didn't work the first time around. Trends in teaching go in and out of style just like the fashion world. For a while "whole language" was hip, then it was "phonics only". I think we should look at education as the basics being foundation, like underwear, to which we add the layers that can vary from person to person.

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