Earlier this week I was at a school that advertises itself as being "back-to-basics"; it has open-enrollment and most of the students are Indian. There were only a few East Asians. How is it back-to-basics, in comparison with other schools in the district? I did not see any noticeable differences in the curriculum. Perhaps it is the emphasis on "old-school" discipline. Students were supposed to be quiet during instruction, but isn't that usually the case? I was encouraged by the principal to be strict with the students. Green, yellow, and red cards were used to maintain discipline -- I had seen this before in another district, but not in this particular district of which the school is a part. The principal was present for 10 to 15 minutes on both days. I was somewhat paranoid about her being there, but she was just monitoring an autistic girl (or so I was told). Since I was new to the school, I didn't want to come down too hard on the kids, though that may be a part of the job "requirements." The effectiveness of a teacher in mass education depends upon the children being silent during the lessons; instruction is not catered to individual students. My heart is not really into the work; mass education is not for me.