In the Sun Journal of June 20 there was a column by The Washington Post’s Robert J. Samuelson in which he visited the classroom of his wife, a longtime first grade teacher.

Admitting this was his first such visit, he came away with high praise for his wife’s efforts and for the teaching profession. Their essential qualifications, he says, are threefold: liking kids, mastering the subject matter, and having an engaging teaching style.

Having been a public school ed tech and nowadays a tutor, both allowing me to observe numerous elementary classroom settings, I agree with Samuelson, as far as he goes.

Teachers need to meet not only the stated criteria to be effective, but have to wear, as they say, a number of other hats.

Depending on the nature of usually fast-developing situations, the hats would be borrowed from psychologists, mediators, counselors, interventionists and parents.

Why so many hats beyond the one necessary for formal educating?

Many kids attending school are beset by feelings that put them in an undisciplined state, one not learning-friendly. Emotions tugging at and hindering them are being tired, rejected, angry, envious, sad, ignored, and so on.

One particular hat, perhaps multi-colored, may be the most important: one signifying teachers’ flexible adaptability in handling issues that disrupt learning’s flow.

Norm Gellatly, Auburn