Each day we wake up and report to school at 8:30 a.m. to attend our four- class block schedule. When the bell rings at 3:30 p.m., what have you learned? Have you gained knowledge or absorbed information, learned a valuable life skill or lesson? Or have you lifelessly sat in a desk while a teacher drones for seven hours, or maybe refrained from paying any attention at all and instead worked on mastering the art of taking the perfect selfie?
Our modern education system faces many problems, some of which society creates through undervaluing the importance of learning, and some of which the American educational system brings upon itself. Education is truly the key to success. Respect for and within education is an essential part of unlocking the door.
In order for the time that both teachers and students put in each day to be productive and rewarding, a mutual re- spect between the two parties must exist.
Students must come to school wanting to learn, and, likewise, teachers must come to school wanting to teach.
I have experienced, as recently as this year, a teacher who did not have any re- spect for her students. Throughout the year she has repeatedly humiliated me, and others, in front of the class. When I was struggling with a class assignment, she laughed at me and asked if I “knew anything at all.” After class when I asked if I was able to come to a tutorial to get some help on the assignment, she proceeded to lecture me for my lack of understanding. As the year progressed, it devolved to a situation in which she used class time to display her authority and her students used class time to challenge it. Because of dis- tracting conflict, our class struggled with required coursework. The power struggle not only detracted from the subject but created a negative learning environment.
On the other hand, I have had many teachers who have not been shown adequate respect from their students for their devotion to teaching. Recently, my history teacher caught classes cheating on a test. This student behavior showed not only a lack of integrity and respect, but also a lack of common sense. Instead of learning the material and respecting the teacher’s rationale of the work he assigned, students choose to cheat the system in order to boost their own GPA.
Teachers have the responsibility to respect their diverse and unique students’ needs and to instill in them an understanding of the subject matter they teach. Students have the responsibility to respect their teachers as the authoritative figure in the classroom and to listen to the lessons taught with the intention of learning. Both must enjoy and be enthused by their role in the process. The establishment of reciproc- ity within the classroom creates a learning environment that is productive and healthy for both the teacher and the student, and by having this symbiotic respect, the relationship between the two can become stronger once that trust is established.
Additionally, American society today, does not put enough value on education. Teachers are paid low wages and funding for schools is constantly cut. Due to state funding cuts, schools suffer increasing class sizes, shorter school calendars and more
frequent furlough days for teachers. According to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, schools were underfunded by nearly $1 billion for this past school year. This is the 12th consecutive year that public schools have been underfunded. As a result, Georgia state funding for public schools has fallen more than 15 percent since 2002.
The brutal reality is that without a high school diploma, young people won’t get very far. According to a 2013 report by Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a 3.5 percent higher unemployment rate for those who have not gotten their high school diploma and an almost $180 a week pay cut. In addition, according to a 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there is a high correlation between education level and life expectancy. Ignorance kills, literally.
Emphasis and value needs to be put on education. Respect for education, and a mutual respect between the teacher and student is essential to learning. An education is a gift, one that can not be given or taken away. This gift, however, is essential to future success.
