As the earth spins through space a view from above the North Pole would encompass most of the wealth of the world - most of its food productive machines doctors engineers and teachers. A view from the opposite pole would encompass most of the world's poor.

Now we believe that the majority of teachers in America know our system must be reformed to put students first so that America can compete that teachers don't teach to become rich or famous. They teach because they love children.

The whole 'American Idol' way of looking at things is the antithesis of what I grew up with. There are a whole lot of kids wanting to be famous now whereas if I'd even mentioned that word to one of my teachers I would have got into a whole load of trouble.

The countries who do the best in international comparisons whether it's Finland or Japan Denmark or Singapore do well because they have professional teachers who are respected and they also have family and community which support learning.

We expect teachers to handle teenage pregnancy substance abuse and the failings of the family. Then we expect them to educate our children.

Students rarely disappoint teachers who assure them in advance that they are doomed to failure.

I've tried to handle winning well so that maybe we'll win again but I've also tried to handle failure well. If those serve as good examples for teachers and kids then I hope that would be a contribution I have made to sport. Not just basketball but to sport.

Many spiritual teachers - in Buddhism in Islam - have talked about first-hand experience of the world as an important part of the path to wisdom to enlightenment.

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn my God do you learn.

In the state of Wisconsin it's mandated that teachers in the social sciences and hard sciences have to start giving environmental education by the first grade through high school.