A Teacher's Influence

The answer to that questions hangs on whether you look at statistics or community. Having 10% of your student population from a certain ethnic group does not necessarily mean a diverse school community. Diversity is more than numbers and statistics. Diversity is an attitude.

Teaching children to be tolerant and accepting of people and views which are different from their own is a huge task. It requires teamwork. Parents, administration and teachers set the tone. Nothing will be accomplished without the cooperation of these three groups.

Teaching children to be tolerant means getting involved and setting the right kind of example. Getting involved is not the same as sitting on the sidelines and observing what children are saying and doing. Getting involved means addressing issues of tolerance and diversity in the home and in the classroom.

The Past

Decades ago private schools were infamous for being elitist and exclusive. If you were Jewish or if your skin color was something other than white, you probably were not going to be admitted to a private school if you even dared to apply. Fortunately that has changed. Private schools have come to understand their leadership role in creating an inclusive, accepting community of students, teachers, staff and parents. Now the push is on to heighten that understanding of others and how they live with many fine initiatives such as The Institute for Student Leaders sponsored by NAIS. Private schools are proud of their diversity which truly is fact and not

Perhaps you have come to this site because you have just found out that your son has dyslexia. It is a scary feeling on many levels when you find out something like that. I know. When we were living in Nassau, Bahamas, we discovered that our eldest son read on a second grade level even though he was in 7th grade. The lad had been socially promoted with one of his previous teachers ever flagging his learning disability. (Our adopted son had only come to live with us at age 12, so we had no idea that he even had a learning disability.) Our first reaction was to get him into one of the private day schools. However, since he could not read, we were referred to a special needs school run by a caring, brilliant, patient person by the name of Gail Wisdom. She spent a lot of 1 on 1 time with her handful of students. In a matter of months and with much encouragement at home, our son was reading at his grade level.

We had very few options in the Bahamas back then. But you will discover that you have plenty of education options. Perhaps you are reading this article because you have decided that your child needs the best teachers available to help her with her learning differences. She is very bright and highly motivated. That's not the issue. She just learns differently. Or maybe your child has ADHD (Attention Deficit

What is an alternative school? For most of us the term alternative school means a school with a non-traditional program. Its students could be 'gifted' or 'troubled' or have special learning needs.

Schools For The Gifted
Many schools for the gifted offer enrichment in academic subjects. Others specialize in the arts. Most of the students in these schools excel at their school work and in their artistic endeavors. They thrive in a school setting where they don't have to waste time on non-essential courses. The extra time gained is spent on music lessons, rehearsals and studio time.

Schools for Troubled Teens

Schools for troubled teens are often styled 'therapeutic' schools. Their students have been unable to succeed academically in regular schools. Perhaps discipline is a problem. Or the child has an eating disorder or is suicidal. The program at a therapeutic school tends to be highly structured so that a child learns how to cope. Some therapeutic schools deal with substance abuse issues. Children who are addicted to drugs and alcohol can find the professional help and counseling they need to change their lives. Other schools specialize in emotional growth issues.

Admission to these schools is on an 'as needed' basis. You won't have to wait until a certain date to admit your child. Some schools have minimum stays in order to ensure the effectiveness of their programs.

Schools for At Risk Teens
Several cities offer 'street schools' modeled after the highly successful Denver Street School.

What is the state of technology in private schools? In most private schools teachers and students have been using computers since the mid 1990s. Tablets are the norm. Wireless networking and electronic presentation devices such as whiteboards, LCD displays, and projectors are all part of the private school teacher's bag of tricks. In the old days, technology was a curious somewhat fascinating add-on. You went to a computer lab and taught keyboarding or used programs such as MathBlaster. In the 21st century technology supports and enhances all aspects of the curriculum and teaching. Everybody has their own portable computer with the flexibility and efficiency such mobility encourages.

How important is technology in schools?

American University makes the case succinctly as follows: " How important is technology in education? The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly demonstrating why online education should be a vital part of teaching and learning. By integrating technology into existing curricula, as opposed to using it solely as a crisis-management tool, teachers can harness online learning as a powerful educational tool.

The effective use of digital learning tools in classrooms can increase student engagement, help teachers improve their lesson plans, and facilitate personalized learning. It also helps students build essential 21st-century skills."

This TEDTalk discusses how technology makes learning more dynamic and engaging.

Teaching the digital generation

Most students live in a digital world. They have never known analog devices