Larry D. Lauer

Much of the talk these days in education circles is about requiring school systems to teach a “common core” of subjects, “teaching to the test,” teachers being evaluated based on their student’s test scores, and education schools being evaluated based on their graduates’ students’ test scores. But where is the recognition that before learning can begin teachers must first make a connection with the students they find right there in front of them?

Schools exist in communities and neighborhoods that vary significantly with respect to what living conditions and cultural realities students bring to school. At a time when the world is more tuned-in than ever to the issue of “home-grown terrorism” and how neighborhood conditions influence people, it’s difficult to understand why so many are able to ignore the impact of the family and neighborhood experiences that students bring to school.

John Miller, New York City Deputy Police Commissioner, recently observed on a morning news program that his research suggests that the same conditions that produce gang members also produce terrorists. He argued that it’s not religion, but rather it’s not having the opportunity for experiencing a sense of belonging and empowerment in a situation where far too many young and older people have no jobs, receive no real recognition, and feel no hope for a better life.

Obviously, the first challenge for teachers in this and other settings is to make a meaningful connection with the actual person who walks in the door.That requires letting that person know you understand who they are, where they come from, and what they must overcome at home and with their peers. Finding that point of connection, identifying a talent to develop, and building self-esteem must precede any hope of memorizing content related to math, science and history. Teachers who can make this kind of connection, help students deal with the conditions they live in every day, and still inspire a sense of hope, are worth their weight in gold.

In the end, the discipline necessary to master academic subjects is likely to come only when doing so can be seen by the student as a possible pathway to self-fulfillment and a kind of success that seems remotely within reach.