10 Educational Doctrines Likely to Never Change

I was recently on a bus trip to New York with some childhood friends, a few of which I hadn’t seen in over 25 years and none of whom are teachers.  During the three hour ride we of course reminisced about our time with Mrs. Goodwin in fourth grade and Mrs. Cunningham in fifth.  We surprised one another by throwing out names we hadn’t spoken in decades and shared what we knew about where they were today.  The more we talked about our school lives in the 1970’s and 80’s the more I realized that our teachers hadn’t the faintest clue about what the world they were preparing us for would be like.  As educators, we are now charged with the same responsibility.  How will we do?  I like to think that we are more informed and better prepared having been a part of this incredible time of change we are living in.  Our world is smaller, the stakes are higher, and I chose to believe that our future is brighter than ever.  No matter what happens, there are some things that will never change.

10 Educational Doctrines
Likely to Never Change

• When students are engaged in learning, discipline problems disappear
• Motivation increases when learning is authentic
• The harder you work for students, the harder the students will work you
• Asking for the specific behaviors you desire is more effective than admonishing the behaviors you want to eliminate
• Proving students with clear and specific feedback will help guide them to success
• Children are more likely to believe in themselves when they know someone else believes in them
• Every learner is capable of at least one thing, trying their best
• Mistakes don’t exist if we learn from them
• Modeling is the most powerful tool accessible to us at any time
• We learn and are able to think more when we are happy and feel safe