by Barbara A. Pitter

Created on: October 21, 2007

No. Teachers need to concentrate on "here" first before they can teach children about there!

Most teaching ethics are so antiquated that kids think school is a bore and a joke. They go to school to meet their friends and "hang out." You're lucky if one kid out of each dozen actually learns something in most schools nowadays. We have teachers who do not keep up with changes, curricula, and new ways of communicating with their children and are stuck in the "old school" ways of teaching. And then we have some teachers who are phenomenal and receive awards for the work they can do with children!

All I know is I tutored the kids of a friend of mine a few years ago and they absolutely didn't know "which way was up" with their homework. They did it in school because the teacher did it with them on the board. But when it came to doing it at home, they were "clueless." I sat with them and tried to teach them on their level how to solve the problems and explained to them each step of the way what I was doing. When they finally understood what to do, they would grin from ear to ear and be so proud of themselves for knowing how to do it on their own. That tells you that kids love to learn if they can understand what you are trying to teach them. Everyday when they got home from school, they were so happy to run across the street and show me their homework. And I was so glad that I could make them happy.

So that tells me that the "phenomenal" teachers are the ones who "connect" with their students to help them "understand" what they are doing so they can do it by themselves. And to see how proud they are when they can do it by themselves is a pleasure beyond belief. That's why people can remember a "good" teacher no matter how old they get because that teacher made an impression on that child that was everlasting.

Those are the teachers that prepare children for the future. You shouldn't be a teacher if you know a child doesn't understand what he is doing. And the "no child left behind" rule is the worse thing that could happen to children who can't keep up with their class. They are forced into the future not prepared for what lies ahead. And it's not even their fault. And you can't blame the parents because the work these children are getting today is more advanced than a lot of parents got in their schooldays, especially the math. I've always loved math and English so that's what I tutor to children. But parents who don't understand what their child is doing can hurt the

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