The Importance Of A Public Elementary School Teacher

Reading chapter six of America’s Teachers: An Introduction to Education (Newman, 2006) reminded me of the Barenaked Ladies song It’s All Been Done (Page, 1998). As I read the conflicting sides of each argument regarding education as far back of the Civil War, I kept thinking how none of this sounded new. It’s all been done before, and we are still debating many of the same issues. Newman (2006) put it another way, “Despite promoters’ claims to the contrary, few educational wheels are brand new. Most have been reinvented. Sold to the public as innovations, they are more like retreaded and recycled tires” (p.180). The purpose of education, the way in which education is managed by state and federal governments, and whom we educate (and how) will always be, in my opinion, a hot debate.

I decided to interview a friend of mine who just started her second year of teaching. She works for a Middle School in Westchester County, teaching 6th and 7th grade math. I asked her a series of questions about her whole experience on becoming a teacher. I was relieved to hear what her first few days were like being a new teacher, because that could be nerve racking for any new teacher. She explained to me that she was shocked on her first few days, and overwhelmed with the respect she immediately received from her students. They greet her in the hallway, and thank her as they leave class. I could just imagine how good that would feel to get that reaction from your students. When I asked her why she decided to teach the grade that she is in, she explained to me that she chose to do middle school because it is a crucial time for development in an adolescents life, and also a challenging time.

There are numerous issues that plague the public education system. Several of the concerning challenges that it faces today are: The lack of familial support or guidance some students receive, the increase in the population of individuals that seem to undervalue the benefit of an education, and the test-centered curriculum structure that is applied in a majority of schools, within the system. There desperately needs to be an engagement of ideas to mend the problems that the education system faces. Not only would it allow students a better chance at exercising their full potential, but society as a whole, will reap the benefits of a well-rounded education for all.

History classes have always been a requirement for high school students to graduate. Some of these classes include United States history, Government, and World History. Although, there is a lack of any classes dealing with local history. State history alone only receives attention in the elementary school system and about a week in Government class. All school systems should include, in the required classes to take to receive a high school diploma, a local history class, so that the students may have a knowledge of the place where they live.

So you want to be an elementary school teacher? It’s a challenging career, requiring patience and social skills, as you have to be able to wrangle a room filled with rambunctious children. Once you get through the tough stuff, the career is filled with immeasurable rewards. Being an elementary school teacher is not just going into a classroom and teaching kids how to add numbers, where something is on a map, or how to write. This career is far deeper than that, you will build a relationship with each and every student and ultimately build the foundation of the students’ future education. Elementary school teachers guide their students through a crucial period in their lives. This career is a good choice for people who want to make a

The common definition of public education in the U.S. is a system implemented to promise “equal education opportunities no matter race, religion or ability” (An American Imperative: Public Education). While all public schools are diverse in their own core values and principles, there is one underlying principle that makes a public school great - being supportive of their students. Furthermore, by following this principle, public education is paving the road to success for students. Although public education serves an irreplaceable role in society, it is not a right that is granted to everyone across the world. For instance, out of the 128 million school-aged children in Africa, an estimated amount of “17 million will never attend school,” (Fleet).

Growing up in the Chicagoland area you quickly realize the importance of education. From watching so many of your peers drop out of school, getting pregnant or even fall victim to senseless homicide. As a student of Chicago Public School (CPS) I noticed how little value is placed into the education system and also how teachers seemingly forget how a student's background affect how well they are able to learn in such difficult situations. I can remember having different classes each period in high school and all of my teachers instructing their class with their own style of teaching and although this is respected in the profession, they were still required to shape their pupils so that we can excel on standardized exams. They were unable to

Currently, my intended career path is to teach English in a Texas High School classroom. Although I’m open to teaching any of the grades encompassed in the secondary- level certification, right now I am looking towards either English II or English IV in the tenth grade and twelfth grade year respectively. I would also like to get my master’s degree so that I may teach dual credit courses, and in the future, am considering getting a doctorate as well.

Our founders recognized that public schools are a vital institution of American democracy. But education, they also knew, involved more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Education in a democratic society requires developing citizens who can adapt to changing times, make decisions about social issues, and effectively judge the performance of public officials. In fulfilling their responsibilities, public schools must not only provide knowledge of many subject areas and essential skills, but must also educate students on core American values such as fairness, equality, justice, respect for others, and the right to dissent. Rapid social, political, and technological changes have escalated controversy over what and how schools should teach.

Chicago Public Schools, let's just take a few minutes and really think about what it would be like to go to one. One thing that I know is that I wouldn't be where I am now. When I think of the words Chicago public schools I have three words that rush through my brain. Poorly funded, Low graduation rates, and really unfair to the kids. The public schools in Chicago are so poorly funded that the outsides of the buildings are falling apart. They have no air conditioning system they have to use fans. If you compare Glenbrook south to a Public school in Chicago you're basically comparing something nice to something not so nice. The public schools have a very low statistic of people who have gone to college. I would feel that these people would

I am attending Concord College to further my education. After graduating with an Elementary Education Degree, I would like to teach in an elementary school in Southern West Virginia. Preferably, I would like to teach in a kindergarten environment. While teaching I plan to further my career with a Master’s degree. I would like to be able to reach those children that aren’t as fortunate as others. As a teacher I will not only teach the children, but they in turn, will teach me. Education is one of the most important aspects to the success of the country. It is important for everyone to feel a part of that success; therefore, I feel strongly about teaching students to succeed.

In Thomas Jefferson’s legislative bill for the state of Virginia in 1776, he outlined a need for the establishment of “…a school for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic…and every person is entitled to send their children three years gratis, and much longer as they please, paying for it,” (Smith). Jefferson stressed the need for a public-school system, in which every student had a right to a basic education. Although having gone through modifications, the basic public school system is still in place to this day. To fully take advantage of one’s public education, one must take an active and responsible role in their education. This means that one must be accountable, diligent, and productive in their work as well as contribute to the classroom

The majority of my subbing experience last year consisted of working with these two age groups. I enjoyed it because for the most part they were pretty easy to work with. After attendance was taken, we went over classroom rules. Next, I provided each student with the assignments that the teacher left to be completed for the class period and gave them a time frame to have each assignment completed by. I want to teach this grade level because I feel like I can reach students better at this level of education. I consider this to be the midpoint of a child’s life, which is the most important stage of development along with the beginning. In today’s society, we are losing so many of our young teenage students due to lack of developmental support, peer pressure, and effective teaching styles. I want to be the teacher that is considered a Balanced Teacher and bridge the gap between the transition from elementary school to middle school and middle school to high school. Characteristics that describe me include: Curious, Impactful, Jolly, Leader, Responsible. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, spending time with my family, traveling, and playing sports. A few places that I have traveled to include Honolulu (3 times), Miami (2 times), New York (Last June), and Denver (Last July). Next summer, I plan to travel to California and possibly to

In our community everyone has their own ways of learning. Knowing how people interact with one and other, and understanding the diverse individual in our community helps to give everyone a fair, and equitable education in our society. Knowing how different people learn and function other than yourself helps us as humans understand others and how they have the ability to learn. Even though, the way people think about things may be different than your own thinking, and act as they find a common ground in our diverse and changing world.

Elementary teachers not only introduce their students to the basic concepts of core subjects, they also help pave the path to each student’s future success. Education to become a teacher is long and tedious, and while the income may not be the highest available, watching students develop a new skill or grow an appreciation for learning can be very rewarding. Because there will always be a need for education, even with the recent budget cuts, teaching jobs will always have to be available somewhere.