Star Teachers of Children in Poverty

Discipline

In my opinion it is crazy to not be concerned with discipline in the classroom. Discipline in the classroom to me is top priority. I believe that without discipline in the classroom there is no order and that the students do not know there limits when no ground rules are set. Of course, problems are a part of a teacher's job, but discipline is not the teacher's responsibility. A teacher should not be responsible to teach students how to behave while at school. Parents need to play a part in their children's lives and disciplining a child is one of their responsibilities. I cannot seem to believe that star teachers are not floored by some of the acts that take place in the classroom, and that they spend little time disciplining their students.

I do agree with the statement that today's training for teachers does not prepare them for what is to come. When you are in teacher education programs, not much is mentioned about how diverse a classroom can be, and how to deal with such a diverse class. However, teachers are prepared for classes filled with "normal" children. This mind set does cause the educators to create lists in their mind of children who should not be in their classroom due to fact that they may not be as smart as some, or as quick as the others. It is true that students who are not the "norm" tends to carry the label as problem children and assigned to other people for help instead of the regular classroom teacher.

I disagree completely with the idea that teachers need to form personal relationships with their students by becoming very involved in what takes place where they live or outside of school grounds. By forming these relationships with their students I feel that it only leaves room for discrimination or unequal treatment of the students. When a teacher becomes too involved with their students, teachers tend to play favoritism. If teachers do not get personally involved, then there would be no favoritism.

Punishment

I agree with the author in the sense that I do not agree with corporal punishment. I feel that no matter how many times a child is whipped, it will make no difference in how well he/she will learn in the classroom. People cannot be forced to learn. There has to be a desire and willingness to learn. However, I do believe that there has to be some type of punishment available in order to keep the classroom in order. I do not believe that laying hands on the students is appropriate, but I do think that suspensions, detentions, etc. should be in place.

Homework

The star teacher's philosophy on homework is absolutely true. I agree completely that homework should be something more than an assignment that the students cannot complete on their own. Homework should reflect the in-class activities, and therefore the students will know and understand how to complete their assignment. Teachers do many times complain that parents are non-compliant; however, if the children can complete their homework on their own, then there is no reason why the parents should be non-compliant. Assignments that students take home should be shared in class instead of being graded. This gives each student a chance to share what he or she took from the lesson.

Parent Bashing

Of course, being a supportive parent starts by providing children with basics such as privacy, safety, sleep, nutrition, and health care, but there is far more to it than what was stated previously. It is the parent's responsibility to help their children with their homework, and to make sure that their kids behave while in school. Most teachers are optimistic when it comes to parents, however, when you see the non-interest first hand, it is hard to remain that way. In a teacher's mind it is hard to perceive how a parent could not take interest in making sure that their child is receiving the highest quality education possible and therefore they may indeed bash the parents. I do not know who else is to blame other than the parents for the way their children behave and I find it hard to believe that star teachers do not blame parents!

Tests and Grading

I do not put much faith in standardized tests; however, I do put faith in tests administered in the classroom by the teacher. I feel that these tests are the only means of determining if the class understands the lessons that are being taught. Grades on in class exams should be stressed as highly important and given adequate time, as they are given adequate importance. I do agree with the statement that children who explain their failures on the basis of ability are prone to think less of themselves and to try less, and those children who attribute their success or failure to effort can protect their self-esteem and hold on to some hope. I don't agree when the author says that star teachers do not do the following: average grades based on test scores; takes papers home to grade; meets with parents just to discuss grades; or uses grades to explain how a child is progressing. These are all things that good teachers do. Good teachers do these things because they are concerned about their student's education.

Time-on-Task

It is true, that stars do not just simply lecture their students. Star teachers want to give their class a variety of methods of learning. This ensures that no matter what learning style a particular child has, they will always at some point in the classroom have the chance to experience their favorite learning style. How much time is spent on each project however is a concern with most teachers since they have to get a certain amount of material taught in a certain amount of time, and therefore I do not agree with the fact that star teachers are not concerned with the amount of time spent on projects. Any good teacher who is concerned with their job will make sure to put time limits on assignments and projects in order to cover all material necessary before the kids advance to the next grade level.

Reward and Reinforcements

The book and I totally clash in this section. My seven year old loves to be rewarded for good work in the classroom. It totally motivates him to do the best that he can in order to receive his bar of candy or whatever it may be. I feel there is no harm in rewarding a student when he or she does something that is positive. Students like attention, and this is exactly what they get when they are rewarded. Rewards are positive reinforcements for good behavior, good school work, good ideas, etc. When the author wrote that star teachers do not reward their students with things