Social problems affecting students and schools in the U.S.

Caring and coaching are two methodologies that can be used by teachers in classrooms comprised of students with problems ranging from teen pregnancy to violence.

Four other social problems, including drug use, alcohol use, suicide and delinquency, are among the top causes for student disengagement, and socioeconomic and race issues also contribute to the problems at hand.

In order for a teacher to overcome these deterrents to learning, he or she must show genuine caring for the student and get the student to become an active learner, rather than a passive observer who watches the teacher recite a lesson.

There is much room for change in our school system, according to Lawrence Steinberg, author of Beyond the Classroom: Why School Reform Has Failed and What Parents Need to Do. In this work, Steinberg claims disengagement kicks in as early as 7th...
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