Targeted instruction+ time= learning. (Bloom)

That equation should be in the forefront of every classroom and every professional learning session for every teacher and administrator in every state. Targeted instruction. Time. Learning. That’s the answer.

We cannot change students’ home environments, but we can change what we do in our schools to teach our students. Teach, not indoctrinate. Most teachers report for duty every day, after planning exciting classes for all their students, and do the best they know how to reach their precious children. That is not in question. What is in question is perhaps the training for teachers and accountability for what really works if our students are to succeed.

The last two years have stolen precious learning opportunities from our children. I know most teachers and administrators have worked hard to keep instruction current and available through virtual learning and some face-to-face instruction. I’m afraid it hasn’t been enough. We have got to figure out the gaps that have been created and work with parents and other stakeholders to make certain that the children are ready for their futures.

Are we really teaching and reaching our students? In 2008, 1.2 million students dropped out of school. (Swanson, 2008) In 2019, there were 2 million dropouts. (NCES) Why? It is estimated that 60-75 percent of prison inmates are functionally illiterate. Illiteracy and crime are related. What can we do to change these statistics?

Poor teaching has consequences. All students deserve best practices, high quality and research-based instruction (great teaching), and current standards.

If students are struggling, we need to ask if it might stem from a curricular issue, instructional issue, or a student issue. If we dig a little deeper, I believe we will find more curricular and instructional issues and less student ones. Once we know, we need to remedy the situation.

As you are planning your classes, keep these four words in the forefront: Reteach, Review, Remediate, and Enrich. If we do those, our children will succeed at a much higher level. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo but must seek out anything that helps our children.

Teachers have gotten a bad rap during the pandemic, so let’s prove them wrong. We are here to teach our students. Becoming literate doesn’t happen by chance.