In a recent EdReach podcast (#34), the question was raised about the role of the teacher in reminding students about missing work, upcoming tests, and parent involvement. There was some interesting debate but I’m not sure that we’ve given this enough thought. The idea of an autonomous, self-reliant student seems to be the ideal, but is it realistic? But if we continually step in and take away their self-reliance through tweets, text messages, and phone calls home, have we crippled their ability to learn organization skills and responsibility? Where is the line between supporting students and overreaching?

—Greg Garner