Participation awards, gold stars, smiley face or no smiley face, and class favorites. In a perfect world education would consist of students striving to gain the most of their educational experience. There would be motivation from teachers that would cause students to go home and do their homework to the best of their understanding and ability and they would enjoy it, not because they particularly liked the homework but because of how much education will benefit them in the future. This would be a habit of upper grades, test scores would actually reflect intelligence because students would retain the past information taught to them. High school seniors would all be in advanced classes taking early college credit and would decide on a college based on what would best foster their particular education and career path. In a perfect world, preschoolers to middle schoolers would all excel at least one grade level higher because of the proactive nature of their childhood home education. Their parents would've taken any situation as a learning experience and would practice school basics even before they enter preschool. College students would make the most of their college experience. They would take what classes will truly challenge them and provide them with a well rounded knowledge base. They would try 100% in every class, even the required classes they don't particularly enjoy because they can get out of their comfort zone and learn, not because they have to. In a perfect world education would be exactly as its named, an education. Where you truly learn what you are taught, have retained it, and will apply it later in life.
But what do we have now?
We have teachers who play favorites, suck up to certain cliques of students so they can feel cool and liked. Teachers who accommodate to laziness instead of demanding effort. They are requiring less homework because they want everyone to at least try to make an effort on it. Even if some students ideas of effort are writing their name and crumpling it into their backpacks. We have a system where instead of actually trying to learn the information the best we can, students must suck up to the teachers standards of correct instead of the actual standards. Deadlines and strict guidelines squash creativity. The bar is set too low and because of this, students are lowering their personal bar even lower, so the overachievers are hitting the bar without anything to challenge them or actually help them learn. Homework is about completion instead of correctness. Some homework isn't even graded to insure the student actually learned the material. Children are raised to learn, "when they're ready". A child will never be ready on their own because humans need challenges and waiting until they're ready helps them come in last in the education pool. College students aren't getting a well rounded education and aren't being challenged because they are all required to take prerequisites even if they are far above a beginner level in that subject area. This requirement is just a money pit. Which is exactly what college is. They are focused on money and any possible way to get it to decorate their campus more or to make the football stadium bigger. They aren't even close to focusing on what really matters...education.
So how can we fix it?
Honestly? Hire better teachers. Evaluate their teaching for the effectiveness to get the children to learn the material, not their social skills. Evaluate required homework to make sure it is challenging the students, instead of bare minimum level. Having higher standards of students can help what is really dwelling in teenagers hearts. Teens want to be challenged. That is why they challenge authority, because they are not pushing back in what they expect of students. If teachers would demand excellence instead of tolerating and accommodate to laziness, students would respond in an astounding way. Because core classes have such low expectations, the outcast students who don't usually sign up for advanced classes, continue to stay on the bare minimum path. And demanding excellence should start in their youth. Combining high expectations and true love and attention can produce amazing sons and daughters. Those students who rebel and take on a "I don't care" attitude really do care. They just need to be treated with respect and know that they can be a much better, smarter version of themselves. College professors who teach higher advanced level classes as well as lower beginning classes need to understand that the students in the lower classes have just as much potential as the more advanced levels. They don't need to baby each student. If there is a student who is especially struggling than focus and over explain with them, but don't subject the students who understand quicker to the slower more basic method of teaching. Teachers in general should focus on staying neutral, in who they talk to, who they ask questions and who they let do things. They should never in any circumstance talk to a particular clique type or accommodate the "suck-ups". They can assist you once and awhile but also ask the outcast types and even the popular kids can get their self centered butts off their chairs and help hand out papers. All rules should apply to all students. One student shouldn't be looked over for breaking a rule just because a student can relate to them more. All homework should be graded for completion. There is no incentive to complete homework that is not required to be completed correctly. Any student could write whatever they want down and because the teacher doesn't check it, it appears as if they understand it, so when it comes to a test they can not retake, the student declines.
We need a better education. It is just one little thing in this messed up world that could really make a difference. Even if everything else stays the same. A good education can change the hearts of this nation. And that's where all of our major problems start.
But what do we have now?
We have teachers who play favorites, suck up to certain cliques of students so they can feel cool and liked. Teachers who accommodate to laziness instead of demanding effort. They are requiring less homework because they want everyone to at least try to make an effort on it. Even if some students ideas of effort are writing their name and crumpling it into their backpacks. We have a system where instead of actually trying to learn the information the best we can, students must suck up to the teachers standards of correct instead of the actual standards. Deadlines and strict guidelines squash creativity. The bar is set too low and because of this, students are lowering their personal bar even lower, so the overachievers are hitting the bar without anything to challenge them or actually help them learn. Homework is about completion instead of correctness. Some homework isn't even graded to insure the student actually learned the material. Children are raised to learn, "when they're ready". A child will never be ready on their own because humans need challenges and waiting until they're ready helps them come in last in the education pool. College students aren't getting a well rounded education and aren't being challenged because they are all required to take prerequisites even if they are far above a beginner level in that subject area. This requirement is just a money pit. Which is exactly what college is. They are focused on money and any possible way to get it to decorate their campus more or to make the football stadium bigger. They aren't even close to focusing on what really matters...education.
So how can we fix it?
Honestly? Hire better teachers. Evaluate their teaching for the effectiveness to get the children to learn the material, not their social skills. Evaluate required homework to make sure it is challenging the students, instead of bare minimum level. Having higher standards of students can help what is really dwelling in teenagers hearts. Teens want to be challenged. That is why they challenge authority, because they are not pushing back in what they expect of students. If teachers would demand excellence instead of tolerating and accommodate to laziness, students would respond in an astounding way. Because core classes have such low expectations, the outcast students who don't usually sign up for advanced classes, continue to stay on the bare minimum path. And demanding excellence should start in their youth. Combining high expectations and true love and attention can produce amazing sons and daughters. Those students who rebel and take on a "I don't care" attitude really do care. They just need to be treated with respect and know that they can be a much better, smarter version of themselves. College professors who teach higher advanced level classes as well as lower beginning classes need to understand that the students in the lower classes have just as much potential as the more advanced levels. They don't need to baby each student. If there is a student who is especially struggling than focus and over explain with them, but don't subject the students who understand quicker to the slower more basic method of teaching. Teachers in general should focus on staying neutral, in who they talk to, who they ask questions and who they let do things. They should never in any circumstance talk to a particular clique type or accommodate the "suck-ups". They can assist you once and awhile but also ask the outcast types and even the popular kids can get their self centered butts off their chairs and help hand out papers. All rules should apply to all students. One student shouldn't be looked over for breaking a rule just because a student can relate to them more. All homework should be graded for completion. There is no incentive to complete homework that is not required to be completed correctly. Any student could write whatever they want down and because the teacher doesn't check it, it appears as if they understand it, so when it comes to a test they can not retake, the student declines.
We need a better education. It is just one little thing in this messed up world that could really make a difference. Even if everything else stays the same. A good education can change the hearts of this nation. And that's where all of our major problems start.