“Our students are falling behind,” they said.  Enter the open classroom.  “Our students are falling behind,” they said.  Enter Mastery Learning. “Our students are falling behind,” they said.  Enter Performance Assessments, more technology, and STEM.  And still….our students are falling behind.

Experience has taught me that there are only two things necessary for learning to occur; informed and engaging teachers in the front of the room AND students who are interested in learning.  All the other stuff is well, just stuff.  We can have all the greatest teaching tools in the world but it doesn’t matter if we don’t have engaging teachers and interested students.  Interestingly, one supports the other.  If a good teacher shows up, good students will appear.  The inverse is true as well; if students who want to learn show up, good teachers will appear.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to challenge your students to show up, expecting their teachers to teach.  This is as important as the teacher showing up, expecting their students to learn.  Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have all of the latest educational tools to help.  But the real teaching and learning happen because of informed, engaging teachers and students who are interested in learning.  Just sayin’!

Make Today a Magnificent Day!

Gary L Rupert

Lead Mentor/COO

II:Leaders Creating:II Leaders

LCL Mentors @ Marching Arts Education