If you can read this...

Jason saw a bumper sticker that said, "If you can read this, thank a teacher"

BWHAAAAA!!!!!!!

I'm not knocking teachers as people I have a menagerie of them in my family.

I do not really believe that one teaches one to read. You can do many things to help someone learn to read but the learner has to be ready. AS with anything in this world, the learner has to be ready, willing, able and interested, learning comes from within.

teach
verb, taught, teach·ing, noun
–verb (used with object)
1.
to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in: She teaches mathematics.
2.
to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to: He teaches a large class. –verb (used without object)
3.
to impart knowledge or skill; give instruction. –noun
4.
Informal. teacher.

—Synonyms 1–3. coach. 2, 3. inform, enlighten, discipline, drill, school, indoctrinate.

See my difficulty with the word?? INDOCTRINATE! whoa.....

im·part
–verb (used with object)
1.
to make known; tell; relate; disclose: to impart a secret.
2.
to give; bestow; communicate: to impart knowledge.
3.
to grant a part or share of. –verb (used without object)
4.
to grant a part or share; give.

You can say it's just semantics but I believe it is so much more, it's a belief system, an opinion, an understanding, how we use words is very important.

http://sandradodd.com/teaching/

If teaching is external than a teacher is only as good as the learner is ready. All of my kids read at various ages, levels and abilities, as they do with everything because they are INDIVIDUALS. I can't take credit for teaching them, I do facilitate, I answer questions, I live by example, I can read!

Who taught me? I'm pretty sure I was born an autodidact, it makes sense... I could read BEFORE I went to school, my little brother read at age 4. I only remember this because my parents separated and he couldn't go to PS because of his birthday. So mom enrolled him in private school and they tested him. I don't give a rip about the tests but it showed that he was far above *level*, so was I. Schooling really sucked the natural ability and desire right out of us.

I'm not a teacher, I don't want to be one, I'm the facilitator, the helper, the mentor, the guide, the how do you spell, what does this say, mom play with me, let's make cookies, go for a walk, read a book, what's this plus that, endless question answerer... not a teacher.