Today's Lesson: Sharing the Load

The reform of education in America requires that professional teachers be trained more efficiently to deal with the problems facing students who are not achieving their proscribed goals. This is one part, but only a small part, of the overall problem.

I have never been a schoolteacher, although as a manager I have taught, I have trained, I have tutored, and I have guided. I was motivated by the desire to have more productive employees working with me to achieve our mutual goals: The success of our company, and our continued employment. I haven't always been successful at these ventures, but I believe I have always done my best to impart what I knew to be important to those I've helped to become more knowledgable and productive.

At its best, teaching is an art, a science, a craft, a profession, and to many, a calling. The larger part of the problem with education in America is, I believe, that the other half of the equation--the student body/mind/heart--is literally, not on the same page as their teachers. The blame for academic failure is often laid at the feet of the schools, the teachers, the teacher colleges, the school administrators, the coursework, etc. Often, all these do, indeed, fall short of perfection and need to be improved. 

We wring our hands, complain, and scapegoat. Let’s get down to the real business of education--making students care about themselves and the world. We are circling the waters in search of the beast that we've wittingly brought on board.