Based on my life in school, I think that the education system in America does a decent job in teaching children all the material they need to know to thrive in college and to later get a job. Although the education system in America demonstrates material that is needed to get through college and find a job effectively, I believe that the system can be tweaked in order to enhance the effectiveness of teaching life lessons.
My transition from sophomore year to junior year was difficult. For nearly every student who attended my high school, sophomore year was the least-taxing year. Junior year, classes consisted of extremely challenging vocabulary that was not used or taught previously. Teachers just used the difficult terms, expecting us to already have knowledge of their meaning.
As a child, I enjoyed school. It was something I looked forward to everyday. School was like my second home. I am sure that for children with troubled home lives, school is the best seven hours of the day. Because I loved school so much, it is difficult for me to accept the fact that school systems will be changing in the future. I do not like the idea of the child moving on to the next grade once he understands all of the material, even if the school year is not yet complete. Although it will remove the issue of children being held back, it still may bring up feelings being less smart than others.
If a child is the last one from his class on the same level as he was at the beginning of the year, it could damage his self-confidence. Similarly, it could cause the same children to be the ones continuously “playing catch-up.” Like a chain reaction, the “smart kids” will move on to the next level, and the children who take more time picking up on the material will move on to the next level a few weeks later. The kids who learn the material at a more rapid rate will already have a head start on the new material, while the kids just coming in to the new level will not be as far along. The slower learners will feel like they are constantly getting left behind.
Other issues are the effects on the social aspect of the system. With children constantly transitioning from classroom to classroom, they continuously must adapt to new environments. The same children may not be in each classroom. Although change is good, too much change can be an issue. With this type of an education system, transitions can be rapid and numerous. Friendships may not develop, for the pace each student learns at will vary. For some children, having a constant, stagnate routine is needed in their lives; having the same teacher, in the same classroom, with the same classmates for one year can provide children with stability and allow children to be comfortable to learn.
According to an article, one solution to the problem is to change the goal of education. The goal needs to shift from teaching a curriculum efficiently to teach students lifelong, inspiring lessons. This will enable students to live productively in the continuously changing economy. The “ultimate goal of learning” is to inspire students to have love for learning, in order for them to learn whatever they must. Children should be encouraged to use their skills to develop knowledge for new situations.
The teacher must, too, be interested in the subject matter being taught in order for the teacher to inspire his students. The teacher’s interest has to be believable to intrigue the students.
Tests should contain explicit criteria, so both the teacher and the students can understand how the students are doing. Test should not be the “ultimate goal,” as they are now. They should instead be merely a measure. Learning must be self-driven, and the educational system should be linked to its style of learning.
The teacher should act as a guide for the students’ learning instead of a conductor in front of the classroom. Teachers should aide the children in problem solving, yet allow them to think for themselves and learn from others. The result of education should show positive outcomes; progress should be apparent.
Another article discussed that United States students are ranked averagely, compared to other students in developed countries, in achievement. Many individuals have examined the other countries to gain insight on what they are doing to educate their students. The US is average in what children can do by the time they are teenagers. Reading results for US students has improved, while their abilities in science and math have declined. Motivation for learning math begins bad and progressively worsens. Despite doubling the budget for education, not much change has occurred. Students’ knowledge varies from state to state, along with income level.
The other countries have a consensus that all students should complete rigorous work. This leads to policy changes. Changing the system of US education will take political will. For the other countries, it is extremely difficult to become a teacher. Only highly educated individuals can become teachers. The difficulty of training and the selectivity makes a statement solely.
The US has Common Core State Standards that 45 states have adopted, along with Washington DC. They are parameters for what children should be able to do and know. Teachers must have space and time in order to brainstorm and collaborate how to make the Common Core State Standards work. Technology should be experimented with; customized and individualized learning should be worked on.
If teachers are highly educated, kids can sense when school is “serious business.” Well-trained teachers lead to students taking school seriously. In other countries, children fail repeatedly in school. Failure should be accepted and comfortable in the US. Teachers should not simply assign busywork; instead, they should only give homework that is challenging for students.
I agree that a passion for learning needs to be sparked inside every child. Love of school was sparked inside of me, and if every child felt the way I did about school, there would be classrooms full of eager learners. Tests should only be measures of progress. Change must occur in order to enhance America’s education system. Hard-working individuals are qualified to be teachers to assign rigorous, meaningful work and to motivate students.
