Creativity

Recent events in my life and around the world have reminded me of the important role teachers play in educating the “whole child.” The main academic subjects are very important, but a well-rounded person will need more than just those basics to succeed in life. We spend a lot of time discussing what to teach and how to teach it, but all this discussion can make it easy to lose track of our ultimate goal of molding successful, well-rounded, and happy humans.

Reading Joann’s post about fractions this week made me laugh. Her struggles with fractions were all too familiar to me! In all seriousness, though, it’s really too bad when difficulty with a particular topic turns a student off to that topic. Repeating drills and worksheets to encourage skills is not always successful, and it can frustrate students who don’t understand the material in the first place. Teachers have the tough task of presenting these topics in a variety of ways to keep students interested. When one method doesn’t work, a dedicated teacher tries something new. Sometimes, finding new and different approaches can be a challenge.

In order for students to excel on standardized tests, most of their learning must focus on core subjects. Teachers are often most comfortable teaching in these areas, anyway, since they are the focus of most teachers’ formal training. Success in core subjects ultimately brings funding to schools.