It has been my experience that there are four areas of crucial importance for young people to engage successfully in learning and they are:  Comfort, Communication, Consistency, and Compassion.


It is my belief that not only do all students learn differently, they live differently too.  An individual simply must feel comfortable in his or her own living situation in order to really care about and be available for learning.  This means that the basic human needs of safety, nourishment, rest, and belonging must first be met before any thought of learning can proceed.  Checking in with kids about their basic needs is the first step to understanding the meaning behind their behavior.

Time and time again I notice a certain student's social struggles outweigh their interest in the curriculum.  Or  the absence of food or sleep has caused a young person to be generally unavailable for learning.  Taking the time to ascertain a student's availability to learn can help a teacher, or a parent, recognize what needs need to be met before learning can occur. 


I believe that students learn best and teachers teach best when there is clear communication about what is expected, both in the classroom and at school at large.  Expectations for academics as well as for behavior should be communicated to start the year and should be repeated often to keep students keenly aware of their privileges and responsibilities.

Just as important as what is communicated, however, is how it is communicated.  Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, so that is what all adults should model for our young people.  More and more research is showing that kids follow our examples of behavior more than our lessons, so that's even more reason for teachers and parents to communicate in a way which is polite and socially-appropriate.


Kids thrive when they know what to expect.  Therefore, teachers and parents should be consistent in their expectations for children as well as in the consequences they give for misbehavior.   A simple system  that first issues a "reminder", then a "warning," and finally a "consequence" can go a long way towards increasing cooperation from young people.   Remembering to reward our young people consistently as well is another good way to help keep our kids interested in the educational process.


I believe that paying consistent attention to each of these areas can help students be more successful at school and at home, although it helps to realize such attention is not without its limits.  There will be times, of course, when the gap between student needs and teacher or parents' expectations is just too wide a gap to bridge.  It's not consistency that kids need in times like these, its compassion.

It is in these instances that we need to remind our young people to stop and take a break before they return to the business of learning.  Whether it be asking your teacher (or parent) for a 5 minute break out of class  (or in one's room), I'm a firm believer in the benefits of "time-away."  Such instances need not be punitive, only restorative, so that young people can return refreshed and refocused on learning.  Or if the situation is more serious, encouraging our young people to talk to a counselor (or if he's available, the behavior specialist) seems a sensible bridge towards getting kids back on the track to learning.

Thanks for reading my two cents on educating young people in the 21st century.  Please, feel free to contact me with any specific questions you may have at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Please check out the interesting links below if you have the time.

Sincerely,

Anthony Catanzaro AKA Mister C.