Cut-to-the-chase answers to all of your education questions. Maureen offers advice to parents, students and educators on anything from how teachers should use the internet in the classroom to how parents should deal with a child who hates reading.

Q: I’m in seventh grade and my science teacher teases me and my friends in class. He thinks he’s being funny, but he’s not. He’s mean and I can’t stand that class now. How can I get him to stop?

I’m sorry your teacher is teasing you. It’s never okay for a teacher to embarrass students in front of the class by making fun or calling names. My advice is to take a parent or a friend and talk to him after school.

Follow these simple communication steps:

1) Describe an example of something he said (just give the facts).
2) Tell him how you felt when he said what he said (start with “I felt…�).
3) Respectfully ask him if he would stop (avoid judgmental words – stick to the facts).
4) Don’t get too disappointed if he doesn’t (it’s out of your hands).

(Modified from “Nonviolent Communication �)

Here’s how that might sound: “Mr. Waters, last week in front of the class, you said, “You’re so tall I’m going to have to order you a special desk.� I felt embarrassed and angry when you said that. Will you please stop making comments about my height in class?� Wait for his response and then thank him for talking with you.

I can’t promise it will work, but from that point on, every time he opens his mouth to tease you, he’ll remember that you had the guts to come speak to him in a way that many adults can’t handle.

Cut-to-the-chase answers to all of your education questions. Maureen offers advice to parents, students and educators on anything from how teachers should use the internet in the classroom to how parents should deal with a child who hates reading.

Q: My son is in pre-school and cries not when I drop him off, but when I pick him up! He screams that he doesn’t want to come home and runs and hides from me. It’s embarrassing! All the other kids run to their parents, but mine runs away. Why is he doing this and how do I get him to stop?

Don’t be embarrassed. The other parents are too busy chasing around their own 4 year olds to be judging you. Kids at this age need help with transitions. Ask the teacher to give him 5 and 2 minute warning that you’ll be arriving soon. Pre-schoolers also need clear and firm expectations. When you drop him off, remind him that when you come to pick him up you expect him to say good-bye to the teacher and then get in the car. The great thing about four year olds is that they change at the speed of light. He’ll grow out of it any minute now.

Cut-to-the-chase answers to all of your education questions. Maureen offers advice to parents, students and educators on anything from how teachers should use the internet in the classroom to how parents should deal with a child who hates reading.

Q: I’m preparing to teach my first semester of adult GED. I taught 5th graders for years, but I’ve never taught adults. I’ve always believed that learning is learning whether you’re an adult or a child. Isn’t that right?

When we study Adult Learning Theory, we find that adults learn best when the content is relevant to their lives, when the lessons are experiential and when they are shown respect from the teacher. Well, guess what? Kids learn best that way too. Good elementary school teachers have always known that.

There are, however, a handful of differences. As we learn more about how the human brain processes new information, we see that children’s brains are wired differently and that they organize information in a different way than adults do. Also, adults have more life experiences and more general knowledge they can build on to connect to the information and skills they’re learning. Adults tend to be self-motivated and goal-oriented compared to children.

Recent research is conflicting on this topic. Some reports conclude that it’s not so much that adults and children learn differently, but that individuals learn differently and teachers should adapt lessons for each learner.

So while I wouldn’t necessarily agree that “learning is learning,� I’m certain that good teaching is good teaching. Show your students respect, make the learning experiential and relevant, and adapt for the individual. You’ll do great with your new adult students!

Cut-to-the-chase answers to all of your education questions. Maureen offers advice to parents, students and educators on anything from how teachers should use the internet in the classroom to how parents should deal with a child who hates reading.

Q: My daughter is going into sixth grade. What I should have her work on over the summer so she’ll be prepared for math when school starts again?

Let’s not make this “The Summer My Parents Taught Me to Hate Math.” Students typically slip backwards academically during long summer vacations, particularly in math. Does that mean you should make her do math every day? Only if she likes it. You should help her do educational things she’s interested in – museums, puzzles, art, music, writing a blog – but don’t push her too much.

Extended summer breaks are outdated, but while we still have them, I say let kids be kids for a few months. Let her sleep until noon, text her friends all day and stay up late watching movies. This might be the only time in her life she can get away with it.