What is the Purpose of Public School?
Lilli Massey
In the past few years of my education, many people have raised the question, what is the purpose of public school. The simplest answer would of course be, to teach kids how to be functioning young adults, equipping them with the skills needed to be useful members of society. So that means making sure they understand how to find slope, understand Shakespeare, and most importantly, that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Right? Thats what our teachers have to teach us to be considered "good" teachers by the school boards. I however, think that schools have a much more important role, outside of getting the grades. Schools should be a place where students feel safe and accepted for who they are, not what they can accomplish. In fact, the Texas Government states that "The mission of the public education system of this state is to ensure that all Texas children have access to a quality education that enables them to achieve their potential"(Education Code Chapter 4), key words being their potential, every student's future is different, why would we expect them to all benefit from the same style of teaching or the same curriculum. I am sure many would agree with me when I say that a "good" teacher would be someone who strived to achieve a positive, professional relationship with their students. Every student will have different interests, strengths, and backgrounds. Some students may not have a consistent source of a warm meal, or a welcoming adult figure in their lives, and schools should be providing that sanctuary when necessary. One of my favorite examples of this was a video on TikTok of a clip from a podcast of teachers, where one teacher talks about he encouraged one of his students to drop out of school. Okay, I know that sounds bad, but hear me out. This student was dragging through classes every day, grades beyond failing in every class. The teacher finally asked the student what he wanted to do for work after school. The student then told the teacher that he wanted to be a tattoo artist. The two sparked a conversation, where the teacher basically told him how awesome that was. The teacher finally asked, "why are you here? Why not just go do it now? You don't need to graduate to do that." A few months later, the two ran into each other again, and the student thanked the teacher, because he was now so happy doing what he loves. While no, I don't think that teachers should tell every student who may struggle to drop out of school, I think it important for them to recognize that not all students will be interested in these highly advanced fields requiring college degrees, and they still deserve the same support and guidance as the valedictorian.
Education code Chapter 4. Public Education Mission, objectives, and goals. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2023, from https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.4.htm#:~:text=(a)%20The%20mission%20of%20the,of%20our%20state%20and%20nation.
Very interesting and well put together post Lilli! I really liked how you emphasized the reality that as a teacher, you serve a different purpose for every student and every student has different strengths. For some students you may be a friend or a role model, and for others you're just some person telling them what to do. I think it is good that you pointed this out because I think it's important to recognize this to cater to every student's needs to the best of your abilities. Additionally, when you said "every student's future is different, why would we expect them to all benefit from the same style of teaching or the same curriculum" it reminded me of the video we watched in the module that mentioned the Albert Einstein quote about testing a fish on its ability to climb a tree, and I totally agree that each person is so vastly different that it's kind of crazy we have a very cookie cutter way of learning. However, I think it has improved and has become more common for teachers to do more engaging out-of-the-box activities in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! I loved your addition of the example from Einstein, as I think it helps further the argument as well. I think on reason we have such cookie cutter curriculum is because of the pressure to meet the requirements for state tests. While teachers may want to explore diverse methods of teaching, there is not much wiggle room in planning to address what the state deems important, while also making the content engaging for the students. Unfortunately, the teachers who do try and branch out may be reprimanded or considered "bad teachers" not by their students, but by the state boards. I do wonder if in the future, teachers will have more control over what or how a lesson is taught, but until then I hope to learn lots of tricks for how to make even the most black and white content exciting for my students, because I believe that students absorb much more information if they are passionate about what is being taught.
Delete