I like the idea posed in this article that all teachers have different styles and that one style may work better for them than any other. The author mentions several different methods of teaching and classroom management, including assertive discipline and lecturing. The methods themselves however were not important. One teacher's definition of "assertive" can be completely different than another's, with the same being true of their level of success at implementing it. The same can be said for lecturing. One teacher can lecture with complete effectiveness, holding his or her students' interest and allowing them to learn. Another teacher in a neighboring classroom can use the same technique and have no success. It all has to do with the personality of the teacher and their comfort with teaching a certain way.
This article also rightly discredits the idea that you cannot implement a "system" to replace effective methods of teaching. Though such programs can be helpful tools in planning lessons, they cannot be the lessons themselves. Such cookie cutter ideas do not fit perfectly in every situation. What works for one teacher may not work for another teacher. Further, what works for a teacher in his or her 1st period class may not even work in that same teacher's 3rd period class.
