Teachers should provide challenging tasks that students find interesting to solve!

• Teachers are professional LEARNERS.   external link....

  Politicians and pundits have been making decisions about what teachers should do in their classrooms for more than three decades. Most of those are political decisions, not educational decisions made to support the efforts of classroom teachers. While teachers do not have the political clout to stop this practice in today's society, it is time for the EXPERTS to do what they KNOW should be done!

  Every Public School Teacher should have a written "teaching philosophy", based on accepted educational practices, that guides EVERYTHING they do in the classroom. Every Public School Administrator should work with their teachers to INSURE that classroom practices support the published goals of the school.

  When these are in place, everyone in the School Community should stand together in defense of their educational beliefs and practices.   more....

• Teachers are experts in HOW to learn, especially in their area of specialization.

  As teachers use their content area concepts to FACILITATE students' Learning-To-Learn, students will hear many of the same things from every teacher. But they will also hear subtle differences about how learning is done from one subject area to another. Teachers understand that these differences are the things that caused them to choose their own area of specialization. By helping students discover these differences, as they themselves once did, teachers can HELP students find areas that they enjoy and in which they can excel.

• Teachers know all the theories about learning and learning styles.   more....

  In the traditional learning environment, good teachers prepared lessons that included a variety of learning styles. By using this "shotgun" approach, some part of the lesson would reach each type of learner in the class.

  That approach is not good enough for today's 1-To-1 Laptop Learning Environment. Students must be made aware of HOW THEY LEARN and given an opportunity to improve their skills.   more....

  Many well-meaning educators often tell students they should work to strengthen their weaknesses. While this may be of value to an athlete, when it comes to learning, that value is minor compared to the value gained by students working to strengthen their strengths!

  Yes, learning styles are important. However, the FIRST consideration should be how the brain acquires and processes information!   When students have identified how THEY learn best, and work to perfect their skills, they are Learning-To-Learn! They are better prepared to learn ANYTHING &minus now or in the future!

• Teachers must provide tasks for students that arouse competitive interest, thought, and/or action.

  Learning-To-Learn not only requires students to have the SKILLS, they must have the WILLINGNESS to adapt to new tasks. Students must be challenged by the tasks provided by teachers. Teachers must stress good learning practices by not accepting work of poor quality. Set the standards high and communicate those standards to the students.

  Designing tasks with value may be the most time-consuming part of the teacher's job.   more....

• Learning-To-Learn:   more....
   
  • Changes the way teachers teach and interact with students.   more....
     
  • Adds depth to the teacher's subject area curriculum.   more....

    By adding depth, some of the things teachers have "always" covered in their curriculum will have to be discarded. Core Subject teachers will have to make some decisions about what is MOST important in their curriculum.