I awoke at midnight thinking of research, research, research.
Research says that a teacher is the single greatest variable for advancing student achievement, more specifically for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Why is this a profound thesis?
I am not impressed.
PARENTS are the single greatest variable for advancing student achievement for children from ANY background.
How many adults can name the mediocre or just plain awful teachers they had during the course of their journey through public education?
And how many of those SAME adults turned out to be just fine: literate life long learners?
The truth is public schools, like life, are populated with teachers with a variety of personalities, teaching styles, and backgrounds.
My point is not to condone mediocrity or incompetence, but to establish the idea that those individuals who sat through an entire year of horror with a less than superb educator, most likely ended up okay because of the example and expectations they had at home via their parents.
If their parents taught respect, discipline, and personal excellence, those children, more likely than not, continued on a positive path.
Back to the aforementioned research.
If a child does not have parents at home who support their classroom teacher by emphasizing that their child exhibit good character and academic mastery, then YES, absolutely, of course, the child would need someone, at least one adult, who could help them to excel, such as their classroom teacher.
But, even the most quality qualified teacher is going to have difficulty reaching a student who is unmotivated, and who is not supported at home.
