Can you guess the attention span of the average, 5-year-old boy? It’s only about eight minutes. For girls it's nearly 11 minutes.
Now if you take into account that the ability to learn varies greatly based on students' brain development, culture, attitudes, interests and gender, you can easily see what a tremendous challenge it is to be a teacher today. That’s why, more than ever, we need experienced, highly educated teachers who are still passionate about teaching. We need professional teachers.
Professional teachers:
- know what, how and when to individualize teaching materials
- offer varied and stimulating teaching methods
- stay current and/or innovate technology trends and new ideas
- are not threatened by a lack of knowledge – they never stop learning
- know that reading is much more than word recognition
- understand how to build upon concepts, line by line
- are firm, kind, and interested in the welfare of every child
My hat is off to the thousands of teachers who are devoted, professionals in an era where respect and appreciation are waning. I want to say thank you for your many hours of service and sacrifice.
Professional development has never been easier. Hone your ability to teach reading to every student, even those with learning disabilities by taking advantage of Reading Horizons’ free online teachers phonics workshop!