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The video on changing the education paradigm really inspired me to become a better teacher. This strengthened my beliefs about teaching; that we are teaching a lot of boring stuff that was taught in the past and not preparing students for real work after high school or college.
First, we keep doing what we did in the past. I remember none of my Spanish teachers taught me how to write with written accents in high school. I've sat in classes with bilingual teachers that don't completely understand where to put the written accents in Spanish. I've recently taught accents in my class for Spanish speakers but I don't see it happening at other levels.
Second, we are obsessed with sending kids to college. We already know going to college does not guarantee success. Even graduating from college does not guarantee success. We really need to consider why going to college is important. Is going to college really that important? I think we need to be teaching students what to do once they get to college. We should teach them to major and take classes that will teach them valuable skills for the workplace. We should be telling them about the cost of going to a university and other alternatives like learning a trade. There are many vocational training programs that require little education and lead to good paying jobs.
Lastly, we do teach a lot of boring stuff and don't explain how its relevant to their lives. In my language classes we have recently been drilling kids with grammar. I love when students ask me "why are we doing this"? Sometimes I have to remind myself that students need to know why they are learning; to graduate, to be able to read, write, and speak properly Spanish, so that being bilingual gives them an advantage when applying for jobs, etc.
The hackschooling video was really inspirational. The boy in the video incredibly was able to reach a higher level of understanding that many only achieve at an old age. He was able to understand that above all, life should be about being happy. The boy mentioned that being asked what he wants to do when he grows up gets really annoying. I asked my students the same question at the beginning of the semester and now I am conflicted. I wanted to learn about their career aspirations because I want them to research a career and find out the type of education, skills, and work experience they would need to obtain that career. I think I will now ask them to think about a career that would make them happy instead of one that their parents want them to pursue or one that pays a lot of money. I will ask them to write a paragraph explaining why they think their chosen career will make them happy.
I know teaching will make me happy because I will feel like I've made a positive contribution to society.
First, we keep doing what we did in the past. I remember none of my Spanish teachers taught me how to write with written accents in high school. I've sat in classes with bilingual teachers that don't completely understand where to put the written accents in Spanish. I've recently taught accents in my class for Spanish speakers but I don't see it happening at other levels.
Second, we are obsessed with sending kids to college. We already know going to college does not guarantee success. Even graduating from college does not guarantee success. We really need to consider why going to college is important. Is going to college really that important? I think we need to be teaching students what to do once they get to college. We should teach them to major and take classes that will teach them valuable skills for the workplace. We should be telling them about the cost of going to a university and other alternatives like learning a trade. There are many vocational training programs that require little education and lead to good paying jobs.
Lastly, we do teach a lot of boring stuff and don't explain how its relevant to their lives. In my language classes we have recently been drilling kids with grammar. I love when students ask me "why are we doing this"? Sometimes I have to remind myself that students need to know why they are learning; to graduate, to be able to read, write, and speak properly Spanish, so that being bilingual gives them an advantage when applying for jobs, etc.
The hackschooling video was really inspirational. The boy in the video incredibly was able to reach a higher level of understanding that many only achieve at an old age. He was able to understand that above all, life should be about being happy. The boy mentioned that being asked what he wants to do when he grows up gets really annoying. I asked my students the same question at the beginning of the semester and now I am conflicted. I wanted to learn about their career aspirations because I want them to research a career and find out the type of education, skills, and work experience they would need to obtain that career. I think I will now ask them to think about a career that would make them happy instead of one that their parents want them to pursue or one that pays a lot of money. I will ask them to write a paragraph explaining why they think their chosen career will make them happy.
I know teaching will make me happy because I will feel like I've made a positive contribution to society.