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The Huron Expositor, 1984-11-07, Page 24B6 — THE HURON E (POSITOR, NOVEMBER 7, 1984 _TBE JUNCTION "Utopia" spells a good teacher There are six characteristics of a good teacher that students look for, says Dr. Bayne Logan, a former high school dropout. Dr. Logan, a professor at the University of Ottawa, was the keynote speaker at the Huron County professional activity day for secondary school teachers. Dr. Logan said he is qualified to speak on the theme off self-concept because of his personal experience. He dropped out of high school after completing an, intelligence test that he didn't do. well on. Dr, Logan called such tests "powerful inventions" that can be destructive to students. He eventually went back to school and now has his masters and doctorite and besides teaching has authored four books. There are no secret methods of being a good teacher,said Dr. Logan. The results of a survey he had completed indicated the six characteristics of a good teacher. The characteristics: understanding, trust, openness, positive messages, involvement and acceptance were summed up by a seven-year-old respondent to the survey, said Dr. Logan. "A good teacher makes you feel good about yourself," the seven-year-old was quoted as saying. Taking the first letter of each of the six characteristics spells Utopia. "Youngsters are looking for Utopia;" said Dr. Logan. He said research shows that boys learn to read differently than girls. As a special education teacher, he said that boysoutnum- bered girls and in many cases it was because of the way they had been taught. Besides understanding how students learn, Dr. Logan spent some time discussing the understanding of students' feelings. "Good teachers'can walk in the 'mocca- sins' of their students," the professor said. - A former teacher of tech boys, Dr. Logan recalled how one year every student in this particular school was required to read Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, except for the tech boys. However, the students asked if he would get them copies of the book so they could at least carry them to and from school. As for trust, Dr. Logan said that more students are 'killed' in a staff room than on highways. On the subject of openness, Dr. Logan described reactions of students to teachers they see on the weekend. • "Positive messages - self concept go hand in hand with a student's performance," he said, recalling his own decision to quit school because of the messages sent out by this teacher. Teachers should get involved and Dr. Logan said a disservice is done when teachers are told not to get involved in students lives. "Teachers should go that extra step including showing up in the courtroom," said Dr. Logan. Acceptance, the final characteristic, is demonstrated by the good teacher who accepts students as they are. Along with acceptance is acknowledgement, he said. He encouraged teachers to at (east remember and use the names of their students. "Everyone has something to say about teachers,' said Dr. Logan, "because everyone has had one," SECOND PLACE ORIGINAL ARTWORK The Huron Expositor achieved second place in Ontario in the Original Artwork category at the recent Ontario Community Newspapers Association advertising awards convention •held in Niagara Falls. Above, Ed Byrski, Advertising Director of Signal -Star 'Publishing, presents Katie O'Leary with the plaque that recognizes her efforts in preparing the Ciderfest edition in the fall of 1983 when Katie was the ad sales representative for The Huron Expositor. Katie has since transferred to the Graphics Department of Signal -Star Publishing in Goderich, where she is now applying her talents to each of their newspapers. Congratulations Katie! ADVERTISING THAT WORKS FOR YOU r THuronI14xpOSitOI' \,� { 527-0240 HEY 000D LOOKIN'—There was at least one good looking student at SDHS on Wednesday, but most were terrifying when they dressed In their favorite Halloween costume. Pam Battles shows what students normally look like. Her buddies from left to right are Sandra Hunt, Anne Marla Maloney and Marg Nolan (Wassink photo) It's a buyers market BY HARRY L. MARDON Both sides in the rent -or -buy debate can make a convincing case, which makes it hard for the home buyer to decide whether he or she is doing the right thing. Those who advise that you're better off by renting your accommodation claim that your budget for shelter is much more under your direct control than if you bought a house. They make the point that if your landlord pushes up your rental costs to an unaccept- able, level, you probably can find alternative accommodation at a price you can afford. It certainly makes a lot of sense that if you intend to move around the country. you only should rent. You wouldn't have that same freedom of movement if you owned a home with a mortgage on it. For example, if you have to move to another town or city because of an employment situation. a crucial point you have to consider, is whether ,you can sell your existing house without suffering a financial loss. Of course, it may happen that you can sell your house for a nice profit. Under Canada's taxation laws you don't have to pay tax on any profit you make from selling your principal place of residence. But at the present time it may be somewhat difficult to make a profitable sale. The combination of rising interest rates, high unemployment and widespread business uncertainty has created a soft housing market in many parts of Canada. That's good if you are a buyer: there are lots of bargains in housing now available. In other words. it's a buyer's market. The seller would like to make a profit on thc original investment. If he doesn t. he might as well have rented all along. There may be strong personal reasons why you decided to buy a house rather than rent. There's the satisfaction to be got from pride of -ownership, for example. However, from the money -management standpoint you should weigh carefully the advantages and the disadvantages. One major disadvantage of owning a home •is that you tie up a considerable amount of money for a long period of time, money that you could have invested at a good rate of return. You don't see any return on your investment in a house until the time comes when you sell it at a clear profit, or you finally clear off the mortgage and from then on have only municipal taxes and upkeep costs to contend with. The pro -rent faction claims that instead of putting $10,000 into a down payment on a house you should invest the money. It could grow to 520,000 in seven or eight years. You would have to pay rent during those years, of course, But 'your tent payments would likely be less than the mortgage payments you'd have to make if you had bought a house. It doesn't appear likely that the value of the average house will double over thc next eight years, so from strictly the investment point of view a renter will be better off than a home buyer --certainly in the short to medium term. This is especially true if the money thc renter is investing is put into tax-sheltered vehicles such as Registered Retirement Savings Plans. or is qualifying'for the federal Dividend Tax Credit. You should keep in mind that there are no immediate tax benefits from investing in a house. In Britain and the United States mortgage interest payments are tax deduct- ible. This has been proposed in Canada but nothing has come of it so far. K1184 Pride... Profit from Our New Numbers 2725 ' HEAT TIP) ( UNITS This exciting new hybrid is characterized by its red coloured grain and exceptional bushel weight. Subject to licensing. 1983 PERFORMANCE DATA K11B4 PIONEER INAVERAGE OF ALL 3950 OTHER VARIETIES r,ftt 1F 6411.661 '.6oDtFNSMRS �, tlpSTWF VfUf SOURCES OF DATA x983 Pride Perlorman(P Dau Based on corn (n) S3 50 bit CORN -FORAGES -SOYBEANS GEORGE BLAKE — Brussels MIKE LANE - Seaforth WALTER McCLURE - Seaforth