When looking at the school systems and the way they are set up now there are several different changes that could be made. The three most important changes I would make would be with the atmosphere in schools, the way curriculum is taught and what is being defined as successful.
The atmosphere in schools needs to become a warm and inviting place. School should be seen as a place were students can come and freely express who they are with out being worried about what others think and a place that students can feel safe where bullies and bullying are not tolerated. I also think that students should not be concerned with what other people are wearing and how much money someone else has. These issues are big stressors on students’ lives. If a child is worried about what other children are thinking about them, they are not concentrating on their studies and learning. The same goes for students being concerned about what others are wearing and how much other students have. I feel that when a student comes to school, the rest of the worries they have should be left outside of the school yard. This way students are more open to learning will get a better understanding of what is being taught.
The way curriculum is being taught is slowly changing in a positive way. Slowly but surely teachers are making learning more interactive. Also, teachers are applying what students are learning to the students lives much better. For so long teaching has been about sitting in a desk and with some one telling you what is important and what you need to do. I think that learning needs to be interactive. Students need to explore Math, Science, English, and Social Studies. By allowing the students to “figure things out” they will learn much more than just being told what to do.
Lastly I think that what is being defined as successful in a school should be changed. I think that standardized testing should be done away with and we should measure a student’s success by looking at where they were in the beginning of the year to how much they have accomplished by the end of the school year. Some students will achieve more and some will achieve less but as long as the student was able to get the most they could have from the class the student should be successful. Now I do have to say that students who are struggling should not just pass. Students should have reached the state standards of each grade level before moving on.
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I found your posting very interesting. I completely agree with much of what you wrote. However, I think there are somethings about schools that are unfortunate, but would be difficult if not impossible to change. One of these is the atmosphere. I believe that atmosphere created by the teachers can definitely change, and this is a big part of the school and how it behaves. However, the complexity of adolescents and their relationships with their peers is inevitable. I don't think there is a lot we can do about the constant comparisions students are doing. School uniforms are an option, but when do we worry about crushing students' creativity?
However, beyond the school atmosphere, I completely agree with what you have said. I think we need eliminate the high stakes testing. However, then I consider the following question, "How do we create some type of assessment for every school?" A student's success should be judged by their gain in the classroom over the semester, but this seems semi difficult to do, especially for larger schools.
You brought up some interesting points in your posting. I can tell you have thought about this quite a lot. I hope your passion stays with you in your practice. If it does, I believe you will be an amazing teacher.
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