1. I fervently feel that teachers should assist students with developing reasoning and skills of logic. That is the premise of educational schools across the country: to empower students to be independent thinkers in order to create a population of learners who will "think outside the box" and ask questions of why? See the Socratic Method of Instruction for more information. If students are unable to place logic and reasoning to educational activities we, as educators, are preparing them to be senseless and unconscious of consequences that are connected to negative actions. We are breeding a generation that will have an "i don't care" syndrome. I think teachers should teach logic through exercises that have graphic organizers with meaningful text that show progression (fow charts), that display "cause and effect" (t-charts), and that compare and contrast (venn-diagrams). Likewise, educators should involve community efforts in the form of Service Learning, and real speakers from the community who have made logical decisions that have led to success, and those who made poor decisions that led to negative outcomes who are trying to rebuild at an older age.
2. Teachers have to teach students what is acceptable, in the form of behaviors and actions in society. That in itself, leads to teaching students morals and values that are deemed appropriate in mainstream America. The culture of a school should be displayed and taught to children, and not forced upon them over values and morals taught from home. Many times schools force the culture of the majority ethnic group on the less affluent ethnic group in schools, and students loose themselves, or become ashamed of who they are.
