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Giving Classrooms a Purpose

By Larry Ferlazzo

I read, hear, and even write a lot about “techniques” that are supposed to improve schools and classroom instruction.

Professional development books, workshops, and teacher hand-outs at staff meetings are filled with lots of ideas on how to use multiple intelligences, technology, and specific instructional strategies with students that have special needs. The list seems endless.

These techniques are obviously important. I wonder, though, if we teachers and our students, our schools and districts might be better off if we spent a little more time focusing on the cultural orientation of our institution. In other words, shouldn’t we question...