Countless criticisms can be placed on the current high school system in America. The ideal school system for high schools incorporates a prevailing philosophy centered on teaching students how to learn and develop ideas rather than only focusing on short-term results. A school that implements such a philosophy would encourage students to think on their own, ungoverned by standardized tests, and it would serve as the motivational abode of passionate teachers.
It is crucial to give adolescents the liberty to think for themselves rather than holding their hands or dictating how they think.
Let them explore for themselves. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “from Education” he states “It is unfavorable to control what a child knows. They need the freedom to come to their own conclusion”. The ability to formulate individual opinions is a skill. Schools should give individuals the knowledge to support such ideas and the potential to achieve a higher intellectual level of understanding. When a student’s mind is limited by the short term goals of a single school year that has, “… emphasized testing too much and produced students who lacked curiosity and the ability to think critically or independently” (Barboza) it hinders students from exploring. Creativity is a part of the learning process that produces future pioneers and helps to give them the inspiration to remain original and inventive. It is important for schools to foster originality as well as the standard criteria for the given class.
The ideal school would include passionate instructors and a motivational environment.
Children tend to respond more effectively to those who present themselves as knowledgeable about a subject and demonstrate a true interest, sparking the curiosity of those around them to learn more. In Leon Botstein’s “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood”he states, “Given the poor quality of recruitment and training for high school teachers, it is no wonder that the curriculum and the enterprise of learning hold so little sway over young people” (254). The lack of effort and care put into teaching yields uninterested students who remain influenced on only a minuscule level by such deplorable attempts.
Classes can be further motivated by informing students on the true responsibilities of adulthood and what the real world holds beyond the confines of high school. It will give them more ambition and brighter goals to strive for throughout not only school but also life as a whole. Confident and skilled teachers and role models serve as a source of stimulus and inspiration for students. In Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” he uses his experience and passion to motivate young students, “The Indian kids crowd the classroom. Many are writing their own poems, short stories and novels. They have read my books…They look at me with bright eyes and arrogant wonder” (217). Individuals who demonstrate a sense of eagerness and cherishment for learning can easily encourage others to do the same.
A student’s fate should not be determined by tests alone.
“Perhaps most naively, it assumed that higher test scores…are synonymous with good education. Its assumption were wrong.”(Ravitch). Far more factors define education than passing a standardized test. Students are too often drilled on preparing for a test instead of steps to learning the societal factors that they will face at home, at work and day-to-day life, “…simpleminded and singular focus on test scores distorts and degrades the meaning and practice of education”(Ravitch). Basic fundamentals should stand with a higher significance than training for a specific test. Valuable information and skills get sacrificed in the mad dash to exam day.
The ideal high school would follow a philosophy of educating students on how to learn and process information without failing to mention critical points simply because it will not be on the test. It is important to nurture education and promote the individual exploration that comes with it. Students would become more encouraged to think for themselves, keeping them from reciting the instructor’s words but instead creating their own individualistic identities and curiosities towards knowledge, learning and education as a whole.