How to teach kids.

[SoCalDem]

Not necessarily "in order" .


1. Hire teachers & pay them well
2. Provide a decent school building (abandon the mega-school plan)
3. Provide adequate supplies (so the teacher does not have to buy them out of pocket)
4. Count on the fact that the next generation's education is a necessary expense that needs to be borne by all of us.
5. Keep the admin part of schooling to a MINIMUM, and make their pay less....not more..(adequate, but not ridiculously high)
6. Teach....then test..(do NOT teach-to-the-test)
7. Accept the fact that "some" kids will reject learning
8. Offer a broad curriculum that includes the arts for ALL kids. (many may not have even been exposed to art & music until they get to school)
9. Make sure every day has physical activities for kids
10. Feed them "real" food ...not snacks/fast foods/sodas

The "kids" that sent man to the moon, probably had this basic education style presented to them.

We (as a society) keep trying to re-invent education, as other places on earth refine theirs. We are not succeeding.

Wealthy, well-parented kids will probably always do "better" than others, but then this encompasses ALL facets of their lives (unless they kill someone), so we have to use "the norm" as our starting point.

People who set out to become teachers want to teach..they usually like kids and are are quite eager to teach. They need support & decent pay and some semblance of autonomy in the class room...an autonomy that is still rooted in the basics that children have to learn, but that allows for teacher flexibility in the classroom.

Today's teachers have issues that teachers of times-past did not have to contend with, but kids still start out wanting to learn, so there is a window of opportunity to reach all/most kids.

When I was in elementary school, about the worst infraction a kid could commit was chewing gum...or maybe passing a note in class. Times are very different now, but it is possible for other countries to teach their kids, so surely we can come up with a plan that works.

Kids get ONE chance to get a childhood education, and if they miss out, we all pay the price.