I recently returned from a two-week trip to India. During the time when I traveled the country, I had the opportunity to visit several classrooms, observing classes in English and talking with teachers. The classes I visited lacked computers, whiteboards, digital projectors, and televisions. Class size usually exceeded forty students, often with three or four students sitting at a small table and sharing a single bench. The textbooks were soft covered and several years old--often tattered and worn from years of use.

What impressed me most was that, even though the teacher lacked the tools enjoyed by teachers in the U.S., the students were engaged, attentive, and responsive. They were extremely respectful of visitors like me as well as their teachers and classmates. There were no disruptions or disciplinary issues distracting the teacher from the task of delivering the lesson. Students dressed alike in school uniforms and came to school neat and well groomed. Students always greeted me with "Hello, sir" and sent me off with "Goodbye, sir."

I fear that we often blame teachers and even lack of money for the lack of progress in some of our classrooms. While good teaching and classroom management are key ingredients to successful learning, one should never underestimate the importance of having respectful students who enter the classroom with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn. These learner attributes greatly assist in overcoming the lack of proper instructional tools and challenging class size. We need to consider the factor of student attitude when we look to explain the poor performance of U.S. students against other countries. Teachers can place high demands on students in terms of school behavior and learning goals, but parents must do their part by sending their children to school eager to learn and understanding the value of knowledge and respect as much as they understand the value of prowess in the arena of athletics.

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