Caring to Teach, Teaching to Care

In the writing of this book, we wondered about the classrooms of today. What are we doing wrong that allows for:

• a 50% dropout rate in some communities? 25% nationally?
• teen suicide to be the third leading cause of death among young adults?
• “teaching to the test,” or “scripted classrooms” to exist?
• students to feel isolated?
• students to consider violence, even murder, as an option in problem-solving?
• students to treat classmates and teachers disrespectfully?
• classrooms, hallways, and school buildings to be trashed and vandalized?

Without dismissing the importance of the original 3 R’s—reading, writing, and ’rithmetic—what needs to be added to our classroom environment to make it successful on a world level?

What is missing from our classrooms that can be readily found on our playing fields?

What can we do right now that would make a difference? The answer is summed up by emphasizing five other R’s that must reside in our education system: Relationship, Respect, Responsibility, Relevance, and Rigor.

Fast-forward to education today in the twenty-first century. Teachers are not automatically respected or revered. Quite the contrary. At the very least, teachers must earn the respect of their students. And, in many cases and communities, teachers are often disrespected simply because of their authoritative position. Parents no longer automatically back the teacher in disciplinary action, but often challenge teachers’ decisions in a misguided attempt to protect their children. They may succeed in glossing over their child’s record, but in the end, the lesson of entitlement taught to the student is powerful and damaging to the child and to society at large.

The importance of building quality relationships with students is obvious. For many students, it is far more important than the subject taught, as evidenced in the following story:

Real Stories: A Christmas Treat

A few years ago Dave was Christmas shopping at a local mall when he heard a voice cry out, “Mr. O., Mr. O.” Looking around he located a young man running through the crowd of shoppers toward him. Approaching Dave he asked, “Do you remember me?” Sadly, Dave shook his head. The young man informed him that he had been a student of his in a seventh-grade science class twelve years ago. He re-introduced himself by saying, “I don’t remember much of what you taught me about science, but I do remember how you treated me.” He put Dave in a giant bear hug and said, “It’s great to see you. Merry Christmas!”

Our students may not remember a larger portion of the content we teach them, but they remember how we treat them.