This letter is a response to Mark Pantermoller’s letter (March 21) regarding who’s to blame when children don’t learn.

Being an eighth-grade student in Lawrence Junior High School, I have the firsthand experience to answer this question. I have not met a teacher who could be entirely blamed for the failing of his or her students.

I can see the students are misbehaving and making difficult situations for the teachers, but these days the teachers believe in being easygoing, possibly in hopes to win the hearts of their students. I think there should be a limit on this, and teachers need to lay down the law.

I also think some teachers stick too close to their lesson plan and go ahead before seeing if everyone understands.

I understand some kids don’t pay attention but some are genuinely slower than others. Some kids who are slower are too embarrassed to tell the teacher even when no one else is around. Some troublemakers I know are troublesome only because they don’t understand the way the teacher is explaining something.

At the end of the letter, Mr. Pantermoller asks if it’s the parents fault for their child’s schooling. I say that it is not, because the parents are not there to see their children. Even though parents can monitor their grades, you can’t really see how your child is doing with a list of numbers or letters. You have to be in the room with the child to fully understand what is going on in the classroom. The only way parents could be at fault is if the child has a difficult home life.

Chanelle Lambert

Grade 8

Lawrence Jr. High School