Favorite Subject or Favorite Teacher? - What is the impact of relational teaching on these trends?

     In September 2013, Gallup polling was conducted to ask American adults what school subject had proved most valuable in their lives.  The results might surprise you, including the changes that have occurred from the same poll conducted 10 years earlier.

     Both today and ten years ago 34% of Americans favored math.  Next was English (which includes literature) at 21%, a 3% drop over the last ten years, then science at 12% and history at 8%.  The remainder all hover at 0-4%.

     Ironically, even though Math is the “favorite” by a wide margin of adults looking back, student’s math performance in the US today continues to plummet compared to other nations.  Even our most gifted math students rank 35th of the 65 nations studied whose 15 year old gifted math students were tested. The aptitude in math declines in the US as students advance in age.  (“Even Gifted Students Can’t Keep Up”, NY Times Editorial, 12/14/13)

     So is there any hopeful trend?  Do we just hand over supremacy in math and science to other nations and value something we cannot attain?

     In his book "A Whole New Mind", Daniel Pink gives some hope to “math-impaired” Americans.  Though the left brain tasks that math and science require are being shifted to Asia and automation, Americans remain superior in creativity, innovative ideas, the visual and performing arts, and other right brain expressions.  The cited Gallup poll showed a 200% increase in our value of the subjects of art, music and film over the last ten years.  Of course right brain subjects require left brain foundations, which is fortunate as we are created with both sides!

From the start, I wish the question had asked differently.  Maybe it could have asked more simply: “What was your favorite subject?” Would the results have been different?  Can a subject someone hated be seen as most valuable in their life, or can your favorite subject turn out to be seen as useless?

I would love to know the correlation between favorite teacher and favorite subject.  In other words, was the subject we found most valuable taught by someone who really seemed to care about us?  Were they both enthusiastic about their subject and engaged with us as a person as well as a learner?

     My guess is that there is a strong correlation because human beings are made for relationships and respond best to face-to-face motivation.  Is it possible to learn facts and principles and even excel without an effective and caring teacher?  Perhaps it is, but something is missed with online courses and robotic instructors.  When I ask folks to describe their favorite teacher, they never say, “He didn’t care about me.  I just liked his subject.”

          Will we reach the day where the “Common Core” subjects are art, music and drama, rather than math, English and science?  Probably not, but it is time to realize that all subjects are critical for the future and subjects do not teach themselves. Relational teachers who are passionate about caring for students as well as their subject will continue to be the foundation of education.

Can the “love-hate” relationship with a subject be transformed by a teacher? What was your experience?


Bobby Scott, headmaster of Perimeter School in Johns Creek, Georgia, and director of the ChildLight Schools Association, has over 30 years of educational experience.   He is a co-author of When Children Love to Learn (Crossway Books), a Charlotte Mason education book for school educators. Bobby has been the headmaster of Perimeter School in Johns Creek, GA (a 500+ student school of grades K-8) for 26 years. Since 2004, he has annually led teacher training teams to the Punchmi Christian Academy in Karanse, Tanzania, East Africa, as well as been an adjunct instructor at the Joshua Teacher Training College, also in Tanzania. He holds a Master of Education in Counseling and a Master of Education in School Administration. He and his wife, Valerie, have a son and two daughters.