As I was reading The Poisonwood Bible, I came to the part where the preacher and his daughter are trying to plant some crops. Mama Matumba (spelling?) keeps telling him to plant them in hills and the preacher keeps ignoring her advice. She even goes as far as helping him out and creates the hills for him, but he levels the dirt again. To make a long story short, the heavy rains come and wash away the dirt around the plants. I thought to myself "You stubborn man, you should have listened!" I kept saying to myself experience is the best teacher!

A couple of days later, I was once again "lecturing" my students about not listening to directions, and not taking my advice about putting their best foot forward. I felt like Mama Matumba! I ended my lecture with the words..."You will find experience is the best teacher."

Sometimes you have to get burned before you stop playing with matches. I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but until they experience it for themselves, it won't make an impact.

Experience gives us wisdom! Just like Mama Matumba, I'm going to let my students find out the hard way what happens when they don't put any effort into their studies.

Janie,
Your right! Experience is the best teacher. Some people only realize the truth when they experience it. It is easy to feel like advice falls upon death ears, but I can say I told them. I would feel quilty if I did not warn someone of the consequences of their actions. Then it is up to the individual to make a desicion. They will learn even if it's the hard way.

Janie, some of my students would have to get burned severely, multiple times, prior to learning some lessons. I don't know how to get through to them. If I had a smaller class size I would have time to spend with each child and find out what makes "them" tick. But I have to keep teaching the masses and hope that some of it is being internalized.