Published: August 19, 2008 10:05 am            

It’s not the buildings that educate students

Central Cambria School District has missed the premise for educating its children. The most influential person in the education system is the teacher.

A teacher must know his or her subject matter and must be prepared for every class to communicate the enthusiasm of learning to his or her students.

Yes, enthusiasm is contagious with young people. Where the student is educated has little impact on that person. The student is with his or her peers competing with them for the best grades he or she can possibly receive. The teachers will maintain discipline and protect their students in any building situation.

The second most important ingredient in the classroom is discipline. No teacher can relate the love of learning without the class’ attention. A good teacher must command respect with his or her personality. If the teacher acts like a clown to entertain his or her students, he or she will lose the students’ respect and the teacher will lose control. There is no place in the education field for a teacher who does not have serious goals to create a great atmosphere for learning for the hundreds of children he or she will face in the years he or she serves as an educator.

Conversely, how many hours of wasted time results when a teacher lets the students run the class, instead of disciplining them?

Finally, the superintendent and principal can delegate authority to the teacher, but not responsibility. One can look at a teacher but not look at his or her heart.

Yes, a great teacher is responsible for educating every student he or she is assigned because every child deserves 100 percent of the teacher’s attention, love and motivation. If a teacher does not believe this, he or she is not in the right profession.

If a school has lost control of discipline, it is because of weak, unprepared, unprofessional teachers. One suggestion is to have an in-school detention program with a very strong-willed caring teacher who will correct the students’ bad habits and instill positive educational goals. Yes, one great teacher can motivate values in a lost student because great teachers love their profession and have pride in how well their students achieve.

Socrates, the greatest teacher in Greece, chose students who had the willingness to learn. Hence, the great teacher must plant the seed in the mind that thirsts for knowledge. If you think about success all the time, success will come about because we become what we think. Motivate the student with positive thoughts and he or she will become positive in action.

Discipline is the No. 1 attitude for learning. Preparation is very important. A philosophy to win is more important in the classroom than on any athletic field.

Winning starts from the top down, but the poor teacher who is at the apex of the learning pyramid can destroy the best plans of administrators.

The school board must want excellent and dedicated teachers.

The superintendent must have intensive interviews to find the great teacher.

The principals must emphasize teacher preparation and discipline to the new teacher with great mentor teachers assisting the new teacher. The principal must conduct monthly evaluations of the new teacher before tenure is approved. With the tenure law we can’t afford the luxury of a mistake in the teachers we hire.

We also must elect school board directors who allow their superintendents to have the freedom to hire the great teacher, instead of relatives or friends of board members who have a teaching certificate.

The futures of so many young people are in the hands of our educators. It is worth giving our children the best teachers available.



Ron Carnicella is a former teacher in the Central Cambria and Greater Johnstown school districts.

        

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