Many students of color often fall victim to learning in under budgeted schools, or when they do seek to receive a great education, they are put in places where they feel like they do not belong. In the TED talk titled “How students of color confront imposter syndrome,” speaker Dena Simmons presents the issue of the “price” that many students pay for learning while not white. Simmons successfully presents her argument by using powerful, emotionally-engaging personal stories, adding subtle statistics to back up her claims, and brings it home by showcasing how her experiences lead to a career in teaching, which aids in establishes her credentials. In her speech, Simmons builds her claim by relaying a personal example of her experiences with “imposter syndrome” as a child, and next she recites all of her prestigious achievements, calling herself “a quintessential success story” (Simmons). Later, she raises the question: what was the expense paid for her success? She adds how her personal experiences of “violence” have continued to affect her on into adulthood. Simmons offers strong statistics to provide understanding to those who have not experience this personally, or do not know someone who has. Simmons continues by explaining how her personal experiences with this issue have guided her career as an educator. Potential solutions, Simmons suggests, involve “centering instruction on the lives, histories, and identities of students” (Simmons). Throughout her discourse, Simmons
What is my life’s work? Well, I plan on dedicating my life to changing the lives of others. Spending every extra minute possible giving back to the community in some way. I feel as if I was made to strongly impact the lives of anyone I cross paths with. Becoming a teacher is one of the many ways I feel that I can achieve these goals. Teaching is so much more than just standing up in front of a classroom and spitting out a lesson plan day after day. Getting to know each individual student and their personal struggles is key to being a magnificent supportive teacher. It takes a strong minded individual to teach. Writing this paper has opened my mind to all the potential bad things that comes along with teaching. It is making me look deep inside and criticize if I really have what it takes to be a teacher. No one has ever asked me if there are any doubts I have had going into this field. I think I want to go into teaching in order to accomplish a better learning environment for students, particularly children with disabilities. I feel that children with disabilities are not getting enough support and encouragement they need to succeed. Every person with a disability is able to achieve something great with the right support systems set in place for them. With a teacher who pushes them to excel they will be living to their fullest potential. There are the many obstacles which make me doubt my capacity to become a teacher.
As a current educator, we need to be prepared to create plans, which will assist students, as well include our vision of working as an educator. These programs purported to “enhance students’ social competencies and behavior,” strengthen students’ emotional literacy”, “promote conflict resolution nan inter-group understanding,” “reduce anti-social behavior” and “promote [students’] positive relationships with their teachers and peers” (Seider, 2012, p. 219). A person can do many things, but a person needs to choose, are they going to be positive or negative choices. So, when we show children to see the importance of equality, they can have made decisions with diverse thoughts in their visions. After all, children have the rights to a valuable, educational, and most importantly, equality lessons, regardless of the community our students have or are exposed to. If we want to create schools where all students can be challenged and stimulated, and where their talents can be cultivated, we need a different paradigm to guide our schools (Blankstein, Noguera, & Kelly, 2016). Currently I teach students from ages three years old to five years old, in some cases we have students that are kindergarten age, they stay with us during the summer prior to school starting, as we are a year around preschool program. We teach the child's self\-help skills, writing skills, gross and fine motor skills, and language skills. Thought-out the day we have a daily schedule. Equity in the classroom to
I am a valuable person, I have dignity and worth, and what I do makes a difference. These words are regularly repeated by teachers and students alike at Assumption High School, a private all-girls college preparatory school in Louisville, Kentucky that illustrates an ideal environment for the growth of young women. Students are undoubtedly empowered through their education in ways that transcend academics. Messages boosting confidence and self-worth are woven throughout the curriculum and programming. The primary focus of the education of adolescents should be about more than just achievement; it can potentially play a powerful role in mental and social development. Therefore, all-female schools that emphasize the development of young girls are a powerful option to consider in closing the gender achievement gap.
These differences in achievement do not in any way result from an inherently lower IQ in disadvantaged children. Research suggests that, aside from family situation and parental involvement, the strongest contributing factor may be the neighborhood in which a child grows up. Indeed, research demonstrates a clear relationship between a better neighborhood and more favorable educational outcomes. The community environment in which children are raised has a significant ability to instill in them either positive or negative values.
Throughout the years, there have been many concerns over the state of the American educational system regarding the academic performance of students. In addition, there have been other issues regarding education that need to be addressed; a few examples question the heavier involvement from the U.S. Federal Government and segregation amongst students. During my time volunteering at the Knox County Museum of Education, I’ve learned about the history of Knox County schools and have gained valuable insight on some of these pressing matters that have been affecting our community. As time unfolds, few realize the importance of educational systems and how they play a key role in early childhood development. Through research, we can gain a better understanding of how society functions because it is closely linked with our educational system.
During a student’s IEP meeting there are many people that take part in the decision-making. But I do believe that one thing I feel is the biggest challenge, is that administers tend to feel the child needs less support. When all the teaching staff begin to discuss the student’s areas of growth, or potential future goals they may not agree with the parent. For example, when the English teacher states that the students don’t read at grade level, but the math teacher say they can read the word problems. During the discussion of the students’ needs can be rhetorical, depending on what academic grade level they are assessed at. “Educators can ensure that their individualized education program (IEP) planning teams develop and implement a free appropriate public education, an education that confers meaningful educational benefits to students” (Yell, Shriner, & Katsiyannis, 2006, p. 5).
A personal reflection that I discuss is my personal experience in my K-12 education with an educator I consider to be a “white ally.” It was informative for me to read the excerpt of “Becoming an Ally Breaking the Cycle of Oppression,” by Anne Bishop (2015). Here, I discuss my personal experience with my elementary school teacher, Ms. Erickson (a white ally) and proceed with my exploration of this educational experience in relation to power, privilege, and education. Then, I reflect on the impact being in Ms. Erickson’s class has provided me and working with diverse students.
Education has always been a cornerstone of American society. However, the current educational system of the US as many issues. First, most public schools hardly teach many important subjects such as personal finance, entrepreneurship, and coding (Gerber). Furthermore, many schools are required to teach students about pointless material such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Qin Shihuangdi, and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Second, in subjects such math and science, America lags behind most developed countries due to many teachers teaching a subject based off a particular standardized test such as the End of Course/Grade assessment (Chou). Therefore, the issues of low test scores in comparison to other developed nations and teaching students the wrong material in the American educational system need to be addressed.
The association between birth spacing and formal education in the context of age at marriage is complex. The length of time a girl remains in formal school reduces her time spent in marriage during her reproductive life, and in turn shortens her window of childbearing years. Furthermore, by forcefully removing girls from school at an early age they are unable to receive the proper information and knowledge involving sexual and reproductive rights and health (Myers & Harvey 2011; Jain & Kurz 2007). Often under pressure from her husband, family, and society to prove her fertility, girls tend to have more frequent, poorly spaced births when married young compared to their adult married counterparts (Nour 2006). Benga et al. (2013) found that in rural communities in southern Ethiopia short birth intervals were almost twice as likely for mothers who had no formal education compared to their educated counterparts. Similarly a different study in Ethiopia by Hailu and Gulte (2016) found that women who had no formal education were three times more likely to experience short birth intervals when compared to their educated counterparts. This is in line with a study from northern Iran that found the length of birth interval significantly increased when women have a higher level of education (Hajian-Tilaki et al 2009). The length of inter-birth intervals studied in Tanzania was related to the maternal level of educational attainment such that as the level of education increase,
Have you ever felt like your previous education was a piece of cake, well once you reach college it doesn’t seem to fit the script? Growing up from my experience of my past education I have always though the work I was taught was like taking candy from a baby. The way the teachers broke down the lessons to me step by step, made the work seem not to difficult. Well now that I am in college, I have realized some of the ways I was taught in my previous education experience was all wrong. Well basically the ways I was taught by the teachers in my past education, all seems to be a big disaster to me now that I am in college.
With more education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, children will be better prepared for challenges they will face in their lives. If kids are more educated in STEM, then they become outstanding citizens in their communities, and across their countries. Researchers have conducted many experiments about people interested and educated in STEM, and compared them to people not as intrigued or experienced. The data collected leads to numerous amounts of behavioral and intellectual skills, however, one stands out in particular that all citizens should be aware of. People who excel in STEM, those who make things, and those that are inspired by science, typically are better at problem solving, they have better social skills, and they are more likely to make a difference in the world.
What is the goal of the United States’ K-12 education system in the 21st century? While it may be worded in a variety of ways, it is well known that the main goal is essentially to equip our students with the skills necessary to succeed on their own after K-12 education. However, many of today’s high school graduates are not experiencing the achievement of this goal. In order for success after K-12 education to happen the students must possess the intrinsic motivation for overcoming obstacles, and the confidence in their ability to do so. With much of education involving a right and wrong answer it is easy for students to feel like they can either succeed or fail. In contrast, education through the arts with a design thinking approach allows students to have a learning experience where the best solution to a problem is not given to them, but rather found by them throughout the design process. This process gives students the opportunity to learn from their mistakes, gain confidence in their ideas, and develop a motivation that comes from within. Thus, through design thinking pedagogy and the integration of the arts with other disciplines, as seen in STEAM curriculums, educators are able to facilitate this type of learning experience and therefore better equip students with the tools for success.
The wise man once stated, “Teaching for nearly 40 years has allowed me to see how much our world has changed.” I had no idea how how far our world has come in just 40 years, until I asked my teacher, Mr. Gibson. Since 1978, Mr. Gibson has taught high school math. He attended college at Bemidji State University, receiving his four-year degree and eventually earned his masters. He is a very intelligent man, to say the least. Mr. Gibson explained how change has occurred in the school, how academics have been reshaped by technology, and how life in general has been revamped.
Ever since I can remember I’ve never been the best test taker. The subject I’ve struggled the most in for all of my life has been math. In junior high, especially seventh grade I didn’t have the greatest teacher in the world. That was definitely the year I had the most trouble, so when high school came around and our test scores were the deciding factor on whether we graduate or not I knew I had a lot of work to do.
Why do you want to go into special ed. / inclusive/ general ed./ teach in your content area?