Educational Reform Became A Hot Button Issue

These students “reported that high school was ‘boring, nothing I was interested in,’ or ‘it was boring… the teacher just stood in front of the room and just talked and didn’t really like involve you’” (Rumberger, 2011, p. 157). Mike Rose recognized this in his story when he said that the vocational track was “most often a place for those who are not just making it, a dumping ground for the disaffected” (1989, p. 3). The teachers had no clue “how to engage the imaginations of us kids who were scuttling along at the bottom of the pond” (1989, p. 3) and lacked inventiveness. In the 1980’s and even in 2005, students were bored with the teachers because the teachers were uncreative in their lessons. The students, in turn, stopped liking school and felt no need to

Their eyes met from across the room, and any student paying close enough attention could see the loathing in the teacher’s eyes as the principal walks into the room for the bi-semester teacher evaluation. In the blink of an eye the teacher returns her focus back on the students, but the obvious exchange between the two individuals makes those of us in the classroom that understand the source of the icy gaze extremely uncomfortable. My teacher hates the principal with a passion. Ever since the principal assumed control of the school three years prior to this particular evaluation, she terrorized my band director. Through micromanaging, criticizing relentlessly, organizing meetings incessantly, and sabotaging schedules, my principal fostered a hate from not only my band director, but also from the majority of teachers in my high school. The attitude and leadership techniques utilized by my former principal directly contradicts current theories of the scholarly community on how to effectively lead a school.

Differently than some other countries, the United States has no national educational system since each state in the country has its own. However, some research from 1999 and 2006 shows that the American educational system is falling in a national scale. Experts argues that the system is ignoring cognitive and social aspects that are important for children’s development which would further help them for adult life. Studies indicates that the educational system is not achieving the real purpose of education: prepare kids for their personal and professional life. As a result, what could be worse than a school system that limits creativity and fails to develop kids with critical thinking and diverse social skills needed for adult life?

In 1630, John Winthrop dreamt that America was a “City on the Hill”, predestined for preeminence. In 1776, the American Colonies proclaimed independence with the affirmation that all men are equal, free, and blessed with the sacred rights to life, liberty, and happiness. These uniquely American ideals ideals characterized the young democracy in contrast to the oppressive monarchies of Europe. European citizens saw the correlation between America’s greatness and its democratic principles. The liberties that America furnished to all men, regardless of status, gave citizens pride in their nation and drew envy from constituents of tyrannical monarchies. The notions of equality and freedom, however, did not extend to all of America’s population;

Common Core’s supporters and non-supporters can both agree that a change in the United States school system is desperately needed. The United States has fallen behind its peers in the international communities, who participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment, in almost every measurable scholarly subject. Therefore, the United States needs to help its students to become better scholars so they can internationally compete in the business market place. Common Core is also trying to bring a standardization of learning and cohesiveness to all schools across the United States. An argument from non-supporters of the Common Core is that it is removing a teacher’s creative freedom, leaving out student engagement. However, Common Core is not a curriculum and is instead a welcome step in the right direction to help students become adults that are more intelligent.

I would like to advocate for the education reform and the CCSS because I do not believe that these tests can prepare children for the outside world. Moreover, educations approach towards student should change. I would like to help families understand the test do not define the ability of their children and their student, so they do not need to be disappointed with them. I want to advocate on this issue because I believe in each child and understand teach a child is unique and different, and their potential differs from many others. Schools must become a place for children to feel safe and wanted and although, High school students are at risk many students in elementary years are at risk as well. If this education system does not change fewer

Albert Einstein once said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” This quote describes the responsibilities and standards of teaching children. I believe that teachers should be held to high standards for being the foundation of a student’s education and well-being. For my future students, my responsibilities as a future educator include supplementing the growth of a variety of students’ knowledge and creativity, abiding as a role model for students and colleagues, and understanding the issues in the foundations of education.

Emerson’s form of education should be adopted by our school because students will enjoy learning more. If children were given the opportunity to learn about what they thought to be interesting or important, they would be willing to put more effort and passion into their classes. Emerson writes on page 194, “If you have a taste which you have suppressed because it is not shared by those about you, tell them that.” Despite how schools suppress people’s interests, Emerson believes children should still feel passionate enough to share their ideas. From my experience, our school has a rigid curriculum which leaves little room for students to explore their own interests. Making learning more receptive to the interests of the students would not only make it more personal and enjoyable, but it

school system should function differently in a new way. Critics may argue that the American school system provides students with multiple opportunities when they fail or fall into an academic depression, however, when a student decides to follow a path that they are interested in, it will increase the productivity because they are interested in it and will follow through with it. To sum it all up, the students should be able to choose their own curriculum path because when the student choose what they want to do, the doors of opportunities open wide to accept them and their works. Works Cited Crawford, Matthew B. “Shop Class as Soulcraft.”

Today’s education system has become focused on standardized intelligence testing and what works best for the majority. This system, although created to help the masses, is impersonal and only benefits a specific group of students who learn the best through testing. Those students who think creatively and use imagination are left behind. This is why intelligence tests are not accurate measurement of a child’s knowledge as it does not account for creativity and the child’s individual strengths. Changes need to be made within the school system. Instead of focusing on what is “correct” schools should be encouraging problem-solving through the process of making mistakes and failing. This challenges a student to learn about themselves and the world around them. When everything is already laid out for them it is easy to follow. There is no single way of thinking. By making a student have to think on their own it stimulates creativity and allows them to better connect concepts to real world situations.

In the past, curriculums ranged everywhere from children need to be taught everything to children learn totally on their own. There are many different theories out there about the best ways to teach. With the advancements of technology, scientists can now explore how the brain actually learns, grows, and responds. This new information is changing the approach to teaching in many schools around the world.

When studying what curriculum would be most beneficial for our students we have to ponder these two questions. What makes a good curriculum? What makes an effective teacher? I have learned thus far that these two questions are difficult to answer because teaching and education go through a revolutionary process. They are ever changing. The instruction and content that is relevant today may not hold up to the standards that are in place ten years from now. With that said, I have learned about theorists that were innovative thinkers and viewed education as something different than the norm of their times. I have decided to address the similarities and differences between Maria Montessori and John Dewey because I feel that some of what

The role of creativity in enhancing students’ learning in the classrooms of the twenty-first century has a central position in curriculum development today. As a key component of a global paradigm shift that emphasizes collaboration, there are many reasons why creativity and innovation are especially important for student learning now more than ever. “Life in the twenty-first century is marked by great uncertainty; this, in part, is due to unprecedented social, economic, and global changes…Students will need to be equipped to successfully navigate the increasingly complex and ill-defined nature of life in the twenty-first century” (Beghetto, 2010, p. 447). The opportunities for developing unique solutions to the complex challenges in our time require these creative processes as a foundation for the leaders of tomorrow. They must be learned in the schools of today, which is a global objective that teachers everywhere are beginning to adopt as a part of their teaching strategies in the classroom.

Graff says that putting students in classes in the contemporary system is wasting and limiting students’ potential and creativity (198). Complaining that intellects do not meet the success standard set by schools, Graff proves that schools limit the intellect students can achieve in their academic career (198-199).

Education reform is a topic that every student, parent and teacher should be interested in because it effects everyone in the community. Many different approaches to education reform have been tried, and even though they seem to work for the time being, there are always more improvements that need to be made. One of the best ideas that has been discussed in the most recent years is getting the parents and students more involved in the actual reform process. Many school administrators see a problem with involving students, even though they are the ones most affected by the changes within schools. Student’s opinions should be taken into consideration because they are the ones who see what happens inside the school and within the classroom, and are the most affected by it. Involving parents and students in the reform of their schools will improve the quality of education, improve parent and teacher relationships and reduce parent and student complaints.