Would it be weird if I say that, as a teacher, I do agree that education is important but, I disagree with the way schools do things most of the time?
NOTE: The way education works in my country may be different to the way it works in other countries. So keep in mind my opinion is based on what I see everyday as a private school teacher.
Thoughts on Education
When I was in school I was't a good student, I sucked at everything (including P.E. and music) but languages. I hated math (and still do) and I always thought I would never use those in the future.
Guess what? I was right!
That's a random way to start, my point is, I feel like sometimes we forget to encourage students with more useful and important things such as: confidence, values, how to solve everyday problems, be independent, become more aware of what's currently happening in their environments and their own community instad of focusing on things that happened a million years ago or things they won't ever use in their lifes. And even have them taking tests on that.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is important to learn about history, grammar, other countries and numbers but, things these days are way different than when I was a student.
Kids (and I mean elementary school kids) have lost respect for others. Call it teachers, parents, classmates, etc. And at the same time they depend on us adults to solve everything. (believe me I've seen 4th graders who don't know how to react when they drop a glass of water)
I know these are just kids and they are not the ones to blame. That's why I believe education shouldn't only be a school thing. It should start at home and go hand in hand with what we do at school. Should we start with the parents? Maybe. And that's the hard part. Cuz, most of them are always too busy to look after their own kids, it's sad to see how some parents don't even know what their children like or dislike. And whenever you mention something to them, you're the one who's wrong. Because it's easier to blame others instead of fixing the problem.
I don't remember things being like that when I was in school. I was lazy, yes. but I used to respect my teachers and, I was terrified when my parents were to called in to school to talk about my grades and stuff. And that was because they cared.
Schools are slowly changing in my country, we're starting to work on those values, self love, emotions and actual events a little more, without leaving the other subjects behind. Memorizing things is not really that common now, it's more about researching, going to places, having the experience and that is something I wish I had when I was a student. It'd have made it a lot more attractive to me and maybe easier for me to learn. We keep in mind not every kid learns the same way and that we always have to plan activities that are attractive and interesting. We help and motivate them to solve everyday situations, analyze and question.
But none of this works if us teachers don't get the support we need from the parents and authorities. We need to change in order to educate young lives.
And, I feel lile I'm rambling a lot and making no sense now, haha.
To end this post: I think Academic Education is important but, there are many more things that should come with it that are as (if not more) important to become a good human being and function in real life and as a part of a community(?). And that, should start at home.
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