Tremendous progress has been made over the years to facilitate the work of teachers. Not long ago, it was necessary to fill out by hand a multiple array of forms, from attendance sheets to lesson plans. Today, most districts are using different types of software that are user-friendly, thereby cutting down on bureaucratic time and freeing the teacher to concentrate on instruction.

The software used in my district to note attendance and grades will automatically calculate averages, and has various tools to print useful reports, to e-mail parents (and receive e-mails), to access the student's address and phone number, to organize seating charts, to check the district calendar, to verify objectives for each subject, and to receive timely reminders.

A recent update in my district allows teachers to access a curriculum guide that is detailed by 6-weeks (the normal grading unit), and by unit of the subject which contains a plethora of useful information for the teacher. He/she can easily access the data from home (yes, we do have homework) and plan his/her activities for the next day, the next week, the whole 6-weeks. The lessons will even give you an approximate duration (we sometimes get carried away by a certain area, for example "The Gilded Age", and may have to cut short on future lessons). The curriculum software will even take into consideration the level of English of LEP (Limited English Proficiency) students by focusing on certain words and phrases.

Aside from friendly software, most schools now offer data projectors which will project a large image on a screen or wall. The traditional overhead projector is still in use although many districts now prefer the so-called Elmo projector, which allows showing any printed material on a screen (no transparencies needed). Projectors have a double purpose: They illustrate the lesson, a valuable tool for visual learners, and they help keep discipline in the classroom.

At the beginning of the year, I was assigned (as an inclusion teacher) to a first year teacher. I noticed right away that he had trouble keeping the 28 sophomores on task and disciplined. I then suggested a frequent use of the data projector for his class (world history), showing snippets of documentaries that are readily available from the school library or from the Internet. He agreed immediately (I am a little older) and the situation changed dramatically. Teens (and children) cannot help watching a moving image on a screen; it has been ingrained in their psyche (I know, I am jumping to risky conclusions) through many hours of watching television at home.

Another valuable tool that did not exist (in schools) 10 years ago is the World Wide Web. Schools now offer computer labs that are connected to the Internet and serve as an excellent device to change the routine and perform document research. What student nowadays doesn't access the web constantly? From video games to chatting with buddies, modern children and teens are irresistibly attracted to the small screen. School districts have firewalls that impede access to undesirable sites (most of the time) and teachers have discovered that students who use the labs learn more and obtain better grades than those who don't.

Becoming a teacher requires the ability to use various instructional tools to make lessons more attractive and more effective. But these tools will be worthless without the strong human qualities and values that serve as role models for any youngster.

J.C. Sprenger has been teaching at a local high school for 6 years as a special education (inclusion) teacher. Before that, he was a university professor in Mexico (10 years) teaching English to Mexican students. He has a B.A. in psychology and a Master's in Education. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, he now makes his home in Brownsville, Texas. He has been a freelance writer for 15 years in newspapers and recently on the Internet.

For more information on becoming a teacher in Texas and alternative teacher certification Houston, check out http://www.TexasTeachers.org