the quality school

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The Quality School William Glasser's, The Quality School is very inspiring reading and it is exciting to know that all students can produce quality work. I would say the majority of schools use coercion as the tool to control student behavior. In a lot of situations it stops the behavior but doesn't solve the problem, which results in behavior that is not appropriate. In most situations, the students are told what to do and how to do it, which makes the student have to conform to the work. If the student was allowed to share their input and approach the work in a matter that was more comfortable to them they would work harder and be more effective because they had a choice in how the work should be accompanied.

Students will be more successful when the teacher is flexible and understanding of the students wants and needs. I also feel that the student that has the ability to make choices in the classroom and has voice in the evaluation process becomes a more effective learner. I feel it is the job of the teacher to show the relevance of the work and how it relates to the learner. The teacher needs to motivate the learner and the work to be done, will finally get done.

The quality aspect is very important and Glasser is correct in that students can produce quality work. However, the school administration and staff need to change their approach and old paradigms. The learning environment needs choices and fewer threats. Most people will not and do not function well if they don't have any choices and are always threatened with, Do this or else! In order for students to produce quality work teachers must have the support of administration. The administration should encourage teachers and teachers in turn will and should support the student's best interests.

Also I like the fact that in the quality school the teacher and learner work together to solve or resolve problems. This puts a lot of the responsibility into the student's arms. It is important for the student to realize that the teacher is not out to get them, but rather to help them learn.

Another interesting aspect of Glasser is that the teacher is also a learner and a learner is a teacher. 'The Quality School' philosophy is one that should at least try to be incorporated into all schools. The implementation would be cost effective, all learners producing quality work, administration, and staff producing quality students.

-- Anonymous, April 06, 1999


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