Programs Don't Teach Childen, People Do....

Often when parents and other members of the community come to visit my school, the first thing that they want to know is "What programs do you have here?" They want to know what specific programs we use to educate our students. We don't. I can never give a parent a straight answer because there isn't one program that can educate EVERY child. That is impossible. Rather we hire certified, qualified teachers that use their knowledge, training, and experience to educate our students. We build relationships with our students and tailor their education to their needs. A program cannot do that. A program doesn't know the child. A program doesn't know when a child isn't "getting it". As a teacher you see this and experience it with your students and then make adjustments so that they child can learn the material. Sometimes parents and other community members forget the difference a teacher can make in the life of their child and that the TEACHER is the one helping their child grow, learn, and make progress. I would hire an excellent teacher anyday over ordering an expensive program because the the teacher will have a much greater(and longer!) impact and effect on their students than any program that is out there.

Flexibility within Structure

As every teacher knows, flexibility is necessary to run a classroom and to work with students. No matter how well you plan your day, plan a lesson, or organize your classroom, flexibility is a MUST. Children are not the same everyday and will not react the same way to things everyday. As a teacher, we have to adjust ourselves to our students and always do things with their best interest in mind. On the other hand, structure is also a key element to the success of our students. They thrive off of the consistency of structure, the ability to know what will happen and how others will react to them. It also teaches our students how to organize their own lives and the power that structure can bring to them. These two elements combined, flexibility and structure, allow for the greatest success of our students. They NEED both. I call this flexible structure. This model allows me, as a teacher, to give my students the structure that they need (and that I need!) and be flexible in those moments or on those days that flexibility is needed to make it through the day. On top of that, it helps children to learn that not everything is predictable and that sometimes they need to be flexible and "go with the flow". Isn't that an important part of life?