Best Teacher Gifts

 

If you read success stories of people in developing nations who were able to improve their lives, so often it was because of education.  This is something that is truly taken for granted in the United States.  We think about gifts for our teachers at the holidays, or when the PTA reminds us, but truly the best gift you can give a teacher is your respect.

Parents of young students criticize teachers when they are afraid their children are not going to perform as good as, or better, than their peers.  But in today's classroom, teachers are being asked to do so much more than prepare and give educational training.  They are managing behavior issues and special needs, counseling through touch social situations, and helping some children to get the food they need.  They are monitored, assessed, and regulated as to what tools they can use and how they are permitted to interact with children.  Be assured, that your child acts very differently when they are at home verses in the classroom or daycare center.  If we are going to trust these people with our children at a critical time of their life; we need to give them the tools and leeway they need to do their jobs.  Stay active and engaged, but trust that they trained much better than you, and are focused full time on teaching your children. If you are really concerned about the success of your student, supplement their classwork at home and make education the priority over sports and other activities. 

Adult students in college place a lot of pressure on the dissemination and pedagogy of coursework for their success.  According to College Board, in 2018-19 published tuition fees for private and non-profit colleges average over $35,000 a year.  When students are paying that much money for an education, they want some accountability for their success.  But so much of learning is not about exposure to information, but how you incorporate it into your understanding of how things work.  The students need to be accountable more so than the instructors.  To truly learn new concepts, you have to practice until they are mastered, and you have to want to learn.  No matter how great a professor is, they can only get students part of the way there.  

The role of a teacher is as a mentor and an educational guide. A great teacher will motivate and inspire students to learn new concepts.  Through an deep understanding of the material, lots of preparation, and support they are providing a roadmap for success.  However, it is the student's responsibility to bring the focus and work to the information to make it valuable.  

Why do you think so many kids dont like school?  How much of this is for the teachers to address or the parents?  Feel free to share your comments below.

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