In today’s schools it is important that educators have clear goals that they wish to accomplish.  Teachers should have eight basic goals.   The first is to present a positive environment which facilitates students engaging in their own education.  Structure should also be provided through role modeling and effective classroom management.  Resources form any medium should be sought for student development.  Students should have every opportunity to succeed, thus eliminating excuses and creating responsibility.  Professionals need to make school a place that people want to come too.   Another factor is staying in tune with student’s interests.  The best way to achieve staying in tune is the most important ingredient in teaching and that is simply listening.  

Today’s educators have more access to recourses than previous educators ever had.  Technology continues to open doors for teachers and students.  Teachers have to be willing to look around and find the best way to reach individuals and groups as well.  Too many times we limit ourselves and only use one or two teaching techniques.  With our access to technology educators should have enough creativity to make learning challenging and fun.  Schools should be a place in which people want to come too, if only to see what is going to happen next.  

As important as the curriculum is, it is but a close second.  The most important thing is, to deal with the student’s hierarchy of needs.  Students basic needs, need to be met before they can focus on any higher levels.  Although we cannot wave a magic wand and fix every student’s problems, we can be empathetic to their struggles.  Many times just for them to know they are being listened to, helps a great deal.   It is vital that these students have a positive environment to come to everyday. 

The most important ingredient in a positive environment is a positive teacher who uses good classroom management.  Every effort should be given to greet everyone each day.  Everyday the students should feel safe and encouraged while in class.  I firmly believe that people become their environment.  When educators maintain an energetic positive environment students react in an energetic positive manner.  Therefore, students will draw influence and energy from the educator.  When teachers have fun energetic students they are reinforced to be even more positive and energetic.  In other words they become their environment.  

The second thing I can manipulate is the physical environment.  Since we learn ninety percent of what we teach, students should have many opportunities to teach.  Cooperative learning is a great way to students to learn and teach.  In order to make the student the focus, desks need to be placed close and possibly facing each other enabling communication with peers.  Walls can also be used as an educational tool.  Posters and other eye catching items can appeal to individual interests.  I try and use everything at my disposal to foster learning.  

The third strategy that I believe in is actually a coaching/military strategy called scouting.  I want to know everything about my students and players.  I want to get to know their families and where they live.  I want to know what their favorite food is and what their hopes and fears are.  If I don’t know what motivates the student how can I possibly interest a student in bettering themselves? 

I also try and relate to students on their level.  My wife and I believe that we should play an active role in the community that we teach in.  This shows that we are not above the students that we are teaching.  I also try and watch some of the same shows and listen to the same songs that the kids are into.  If I take an interest in them they will in turn take an interest in my class no matter what I am teaching.   Most students don’t care about grades; they do their work because it is important to their authority figures, parents and teachers, and they do not want to disappoint them.  

And finally, schools need to start acting more like video games.  If a student plays a game he starts on the 1st level if he completes the level he moves on.  It does not matter if it takes him one minute, one week, or one year, they do not move to the next skill or level until they have satisfied the basics of the first level.  Some video games are very complicated and provide training levels before the game is actually played.  If the game is very easy the student masters it quickly anticipates more challenges and moves to a different game with a different skill.  We should and could be doing the same things in our schools.  Having a student stay in a class a set amount of time because the state mandates a certain amount of attendance is ridicules.  How many people would play video games if you had to wait for thirty other people to catch up to you to move on? Zero!  This is why our current system is failing and Sony and Nintendo are billion dollar industries.  

We have to start training to the standard instead training to time.  We are stuck in the assembly line mentality when it comes to education.  If educators are going to make a difference we need to use all the technology that we can, make school a place worth coming to, and become a large part of our student’s lives.