Teachers, Schools, and Society - Research Paper Example

Teachers, Schools, and Society Introduction The American education system is undergoing a number of remarkable changes. An analysis of the current educational system in America, it is essential to consider role of teachers, schools, and society in imparting learning facilities for the younger ones. Ever since the formation of the Nation, she has been giving maximum exposure to the students to thrive in various fields of interest. The history of American education system can be traced back to the 16th century and as Boers has pointed out the evolution of American educational system has been influenced by five elements -philosophy, religion, social aspect, economics, and politics. (Boers, 2007, p.2). The curriculum of American education is set to bring out the potentialities of the children, but the nation needs to take into account its student diversity and multiculturalism. The nation has “students with Ethiopian, Mexican, Appalachian, Southeast Asian, and African American backgrounds—children who are newcomers, some from dysfunctional homes, some from foster homes, some with hardship home lives, some at risk”(Chenfeld, 2004, p.2). This article takes a few sociological aspects focussing the three pillars of education-teachers, schools, and society- and tries to find out the depth of these issues and finally arrives at a certain conclusions. The three elements have got much influence on the overall growth and development of the learner and as such the analyses of the three elements are significant in the current education scenario of the nation. Do teachers like teaching? A teacher is the centre of educational process as he/she has the potential to mould responsible socially committed citizens. The children stick around a teacher for their needs. Children consider their teachers as role models and as such they are regarded as the second parents of a child. As Chenfeld purports the words of teachers are not slogans and “their words aren’t slogans. Their promises are not bulletin-board displays or mottos. Their commitments are demonstrated every day by how they meet and greet, listen and talk, share and care in their numerous interactions with children and adults”( Chenfeld, 2004, p.4). Teachers carry the responsibility of rearing a generation and so teaching, unlike any other profession, is considered to be sacred. But still a question comes, how many of the teachers like their profession? In America if a survey is conducted it can be found out that many great teachers are there and at the same time a wide tendency can be seen that many teachers leave this profession to take up any other. This is very well observed by Linda Darling-Hammond when the author states that “about one-third of new teachers leave the profession within five years” (Darling-Hammond, 2003, p.2). The author further says. “In a startling number of urban schools across the United States, a large share of teachers are inexperienced, under qualified, or both” (Darling-Hammond, 2003, p.2). These are the problems faced by the country at present. A committed teacher is often a rare sight. What is a way out for this issue? Sure, qualified and committed teachers are the backbone of good education system. So policies should be amended for getting able teachers for the young generation of the State. A solution for molding and retaining well qualified and highly committed teachers in the state of America has to be made. As the teachers are encouraged with the payment mode the authorities should focus on the qualitative payment scheme: Adding pay for knowledge and skills, compensation for mentoring, and pay for teaching in hard-to-staff schools and subjects will transform a proforma salary schedule into a professional compensation arrangement that better recognizes the complexity of teaching and offers teachers the kinds of incentives and options that professionals deserve ( Koppich, 2005, p.2). However, one has to bear in mind that payment alone will not help if there is no commitment from a teacher. So there should be grading of the teachers on their role as a teacher. The best evaluators of a teacher are the students. Whatever it is, a teacher is always remembered by the students and the profession is highly valued in the society. The society has the responsibility to place able teachers for the students in each locality. Different ways of learning:  In imparting knowledge to the children, teachers adopt many methods. Children demand much from teachers, and of course, the teaching materials and mode must be friendly to the overall growth of the children. Which is the best method of learning? Teachers often find themselves perplexed at this juncture. In reading the life of Frederick Douglass it is found that being a Negro and being a person of the marginalized group, he made friends with all the little white boys whom he met in the street and converted them into teachers. It is with their assistance that he learned to read (Dgoulass, 1854, p.1). This may prompt one to think of the different ways of learning. It is sure that a teacher should take different strategies for different children in the class room. A Teacher can implement art forms and through art forms differently gifted students in a class can be taught well. As Smith points out, “through art forms, youngsters with learning disabilities can be helped to develop and strengthen the perceptual skills which form the foundations for future learning” (Smith, 1996/1997, p.3). Children are different and so a teacher should take suitable methods of learning in the class room. For this, teachers and teacher educators “must be cognisant of their own backgrounds, beliefs, and behaviours in alignment with the cultural characteristics defining each of their learners, if they are to ensure the best possible learning opportunities within their socio-cultural contexts” (Gallavan, 2002, p.1). Another vibrant method of learning is community learning and educational researchers and policy makers have regarded community learning as a powerful tool in educating learners (Strahan, Smith, McElrath & Toole, 2001, p.6). The teachers who are adopting this method have been proved as successful in their career. Students can be linked with community, and so their social and environmental learning get a rapid boost up. Students create a firm relationship among adults and their peers and these intensify their learning outcomes. In the different ways of learning, student’s individuality and uniqueness have to be taken in consideration and a teacher can adopt the best method for each and every student in accordance with their socio cultural background. Student diversity:  Students are different from one another in all aspects. In America it can be seen that the students range from a variety of groups. The students differ in colour and creed. The students of America come from Asian, European, and African background. A teacher has to take necessary measures to foster multiculturalism for these students in the classroom. These cultural differences in a class make a teacher to take appropriate steps in imparting education. Another issue is of gender. The gender difference in a class too will affect the transaction of the lessons. As Sadker has rightly put it, students in America “confront gender stereotypes and challenges, and teachers and parents must work hard every day to make schools work for all children” (Sadker). The difference between boys and girls in schools, when analysing at a root level, is a serious issue. The level of learning acquisition is different from one gender to another. So a teacher may be put into troubles, but for a good teacher it is not a problem. This can be solved by taking appropriate steps for both. Another difficulty comes when dealing with gifted or non gifted ones in a class room. At times in a class a teacher may confront children with special needs. A teacher has to make special consideration for these students. It is the responsibility of the teachers to convince students with learning disabilities “that “different is not bad” and that their differences often make them more interesting and talented” (Smith 1996/1997, p.3). Similarly, sexual identity is another factor that needs to be addressed in the nation. Here in the country the elders are diverged in accordance with their sexual orientations such as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, etc. So the aspects of gay and lesbianism in school cannot be ignored. Actually no such researches were done among the students. In dealing with such students in the class teachers should take amble steps. It is therefore imperative that gay and lesbian students “must feel welcome at school and free from victimization and harassment. They must see themselves in the curricula, textbooks, school-sponsored events, and in the hallways. Their voices must be heard and represented in student clubs, organizations, and classrooms” (Graziano, 2003, p.7). Another issue in this regard is of stereotypes. Children are vulnerable to stereotyping ever since their sixth grade when they “get increasingly concerned with others’ evaluations, and when they begin to comprehend that the world at large has negative expectations for certain groups (Aronson, 2004, p.3). Stereotypes are between Whites and blacks, Jews and Muslims, and other communities in America. A teacher who interacts with these children should take an impartial outlook towards all children in the classroom. Financing and governing American schools: Americans give maximum importance to the education system. They all feel that the children should be given maximum exposure to the new trends and developments in the education system. But at the same time it is very vivid in America that teaching salaries in the State are comparatively lower to other professions. This tends many to shift from this profession and as a result high potential teachers are a rare sight in the field. Miles, in this respect, advocates that “the most talented individuals sacrifice much higher potential earnings if they remain in teaching” (Miles, 2001, p.2). Teachers should be given ‘high quality professional development’ in all the provincials in America. It is the responsibility of the society to find out good teachers. Being the central office instructional leader in the Arlington, Virginia, Kathleen F. Grove exemplifies her experience and tells of the role of Central Office in America. For her the central office needs to take up “the task of articulating the goal of teaching for understanding. We used a state grant for addressing Virginia’s Standards of Learning (the objectives tested by the criterion-referenced tests) to fund the Lead Teacher Initiative” (Grove, 2002, p1). The program was successful and was highly prised for its usefulness among teachers. The state governs the educational institutions in the country. In American system of education equality is provided to all people in education. The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ensures “all citizens equal protection under both state and federal law; this guarantee of equal protection includes prohibiting discrimination in U.S. public schools” ( Zirkel, 2002, p.1). This equality has to be well executed by the state. The financial aid and the magnificent managing of the schools by the government make the education system more meaningful and praiseworthy. Student life in school and at home: How is a student’s life both at school and at home? Both at school and home a child gets his or her education and both have equal responsibility. School provides learning experience to children and together with parental help this learning experiences can work miracles in the life of children. Similarly, educational system should foster parental participation and community reach out programs: “Parental involvement is another element that can affect a student’s success. Schools can reach out to involve parents by keeping them informed and by organizing volunteer activities and providing parent education programs” (Baldwin, 2001, p.6). It has to be analyzed well in connection with the socio economic setting of America. In America until recently bullying was not considered to be an issue but now it is considered as a serious issue as far as a student’s life at school is considered. Bullying means “repeated, unprovoked, harmful actions by one child or children against another” which can be either physical or psychological (Bullock, 2002, p.1). Among physical and psychological bullying come direct hitting, kicking, calling bad names, defacing, etc. This one is very aggressive nowadays in the class room. To investigate this issue it is good to take attention on the news of children carrying guns at school and shooting others. This child war should have to be analyzed and necessary implementation should be taken on the psychological level of a child. Children face many difficulties at home too. They are treated as insignificant at home. Their personal qualities are often ignored at home and the disputes between parents make their life tormented. The students at home are also put to stress and strain and as a result the impact of this can be seen in the attitudes of the students at school. The ill experiences at both places badly affect the students a lot. This can be minimized by a close association of parents and teachers with students. Curriculum standards and testing: In American education system, there can be a question regarding the standards of curriculum and the evaluation system. How these two are effective in the American education setting need to be analyzed very carefully. It is found that the system suffer from certain flaws in these respects. For Eisner, “American schools give more tests to students each year than schools in any other country in the world. The testing industry in the U.S. is large and highly profitable” (Eisner, 2003, p2). Even though testing is very common in the American system at times these turn to be of not much use. The latest researches on academic growth of learners are against too much of testing. It is found that the most significant “dependent variables in education are not test scores or even skills performed in the context of schools; they are the tasks students are able to complete successfully in the lives they lead outside of schools” (Eisner, 2003, p2). In considering the curriculum objectives of a text, aspects of citizenship training dominate in the education system. And in this regard it is good to say that “schools are ideal sites for democratic citizenship education. The main reason is that a school is not a private place, like our homes, but a public, civic place with a congregation of diverse students” (Parker, 2005, p3&4). However, this ideal of making good citizens is often forgotten in the practice and therefore necessary methods are mandatory to implement the ideals of education in America. The curriculum should be standardized with the expectation of creating a good ambience among the children of America. They should feel one another as fellow beings of the same nation. So in today’s classroom multi cultural literature should be used. For Colby and Lynon, “multicultural literature helps children identify with their own culture, exposes children to other cultures, and opens the dialogue on issues regarding diversity” (Colby & Lynon, 2004, p1). It will broaden the minds of the children in many ways and this may assist them to maintain an empathetic outlook towards the problems of their fellow beings in the country or outside. The testing on the students should aim at whether they achieve the goals of caring, intellectual development, social commitment, and academic growth. Today’s Classroom: Today the classroom has changed a lot in the land of America. The American Education system has shifted from teacher centered to students centered. It can be analyzed well with a lot of examples. Eisner states that schools in the United Sates, with few exceptions, are organized in such way as “to have youngsters at the elementary level work with a particular teacher for nine or 10 months and then move on” (Eisner, 2003, p2). Here a child gets some acquaintance with a teacher and at the prime time of acquaintance the student moves to another class. This may make some problems in the teacher and the student and this can be solved by placing a child under mentoring system .The mentor should be the same for some years. In analysing today’s classroom in America many things are there to be dealt with – student’s position, teacher’s role and the class room set up. Today’s classroom should be a place where students are cared much. They should feel attached to teachers on behalf of it. “Once it is recognized that school is a place in which students are cared for and learn to care, that recognition should be powerful in guiding policy” (Noddings, 1995, p.4). Similarly, it is also essential that today’s classrooms should give priority to value education and should instill moral aspects among children. The children should be reared through moral worlds. Researchers have pointed out that moral education that comprises of many “moral worlds” helps one to “imagine classrooms and schools that consistently support the beliefs, values, and visions that will shape students into adults and determine the world they will make” (Joseph & Efron, 2005, p.1). Among the major moral worlds come character education, cultural heritage, caring community, peace education, social action, just community, and ethical inquiry (Joseph & Efron, 2005, p.1). Sure, at present the education system is centred on the students and there is a tendency to neglect the role of a teacher. It is sure that whatever be the reforms in the educational system teachers cannot be eliminated from the system. Their role may be changed but their presence is a must in the class. Cohen makes this clear when the author remarks that “it is the teachers who must communicate it, embody it, transmit” the powerful ethos in a school and that “teachers are the one stable influence on a culture that is, by definition, always in flux” (Cohen, 2002, p2). Today, “Americans see public schools as a place where we define who we are as a people, what we believe as a nation” (Joiner, 2003, p1). And further the writer speaks that these public schools have become the battlefields of many views. The views come in between religion and science. Teachers are the beacons of the next generation and so they have the responsibility of guiding the new generation through the right path. So it is advised to teach the children scientific truth over religious ones. Finally analyzing the role of today’s class in America has made many to implement a new environment where students get maximum exposure to achieve their goal of a true human. Conclusions: In dealing with many sociological issues where teachers, schools and society are concerned, the education system in America has got many flaws and merits at the same time. ‘The nation lives by its people’ is apt in the case of America. The policies are always people friendly and so the sociological issues that hinder the progress of education in America can be rectified with suitable measures. The role of the trio-teachers, schools, and society- is to attain maximum benefits to children and the supremacy of the society over administrative and governing level cannot be forgotten. At the same time the need of good teachers in the society is a must for the next generation. The role of teachers at the present scenario of education is highly demanding. The tendency of ‘teachers quitting their profession can be minimized by implementing new salary system and new working environment in America. Of course the quality assurance of the teachers is a responsibility over the society and government. Necessary strategies should be taken by the government to keep the teachers and attract others to teaching field. Sure in the functional levels, schools too have got amble role to play as it is the responsibility of schools to ensure good teachers in the school. A qualitative approach to promote well qualified and committed teachers would surely change the whole system to a highly fruitful one in America. If the three parameters of the education work hand in hand American education system will become the best in the world. Moreover the nation can be proud of imparting the best education to its younger ones whom will enhance the nation’s name in front of the rest of the world. References Aronson, J. (Nov 2004). The Threat of Stereotype. Educational Leadership, 62(3), p. 14 (Reading 3.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Baldwin, J. (Spring 2001). Meeting the Challenge of the Urban High School. The Carnegie Reporter, Carnegie Corporation of New York, 22-29 (Reading 4.3- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Boers, David. (2007). History of American education: primer. Peter Lang. Bullock, J. (Spring 2002). Bullying Among Children. Childhood Education, the Association for Childhood Education International, 130-133 (Reading 4.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Chenfeld, M.B. (Dec 2004). Metaphors of Hope. Phi Delta Kappan: Phi Delta Kappa International, 271-275. (Reading 1.1-The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Cohen, R.M. (March 2002). Schools Our Teachers Deserve. Phi Delta Kappan, 83(7), 532-637 (Reading 9.3- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Colby, S., & Lynon, A. (Spring 2004). Heightening Awareness about the Importance of Using Multicultural Literature. Multicultural Education, Caddo Gap Press, 24-28 (Reading 10.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Darling-Hammond, L. (May 2003). Keeping Good Teachers: Why It Matters, What Leaders Can Do. Educational Leadership (Reading 1.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Dgoulass, F. (1854). Excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. The Anti-Slavery Office: Boston (Reading 5.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Eisner, E. (2003). Questionable Assumptions About Schooling. Phi Delta Kappan, 84 (9), 648-657 (Reading 9.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Gallavan, N. (Spring 2002). I, too, am an American: Pre-service Teachers Reflect upon National Identity. Multicultural Teaching, Caddo Gap Press, 8-12, 23 (Reading 3.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Graziano, K. (Winter 2003). Differing Sexualities in Singular Classrooms. Multicultural Education, Caddo Gap Press, 2-9 (Reading 2.3- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Grove, K.F. (May 2002). The Invisible Role of the Central Office. Educational Leadership, 59(8), 45-47 (Reading 7.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Joiner, L. (April 2003). Where Did We Come From? American School Board Journal, National School Boards Association (Reading 10.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Joseph, P.B., & Efron, S. (March 2005). Seven Worlds of Moral Education. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(7), 525-533 (Reading 8.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Koppich, J.E. (Winter 2005). All Teachers are Not the Same: A Multiple Approach to Teacher Compensation. Education Next, 13-15 (Reading 1.3- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Miles, K.H. (Sep 2001). Putting Money Where It Matters. Educational Leadership, 59(1), 53-57 (Reading 7.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Noddings, N. (May 1995). Teaching Themes of Care. Nell in Phi Delta Kappan, 76(3), 675-679 (Reading 6.1- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Parker, W.C. (Jan 2005). Teaching Against Idiocy. Phi Delta Kappan, 344-351 (Reading 9.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Sadker, D. An Educator's Primer to the Gender War. Retrieved 23 Dec. 10 from: http://www.sadker.org/educatorsprimer.html Smith, M. (1996/1997). Succeeding Through the Arts. Their World (Reading 2.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Strahan., D, Smith, T.W., McElrath, M & Toole, C.M. (Sep 2001). Profiles in Caring: Teachers Who Create Learning Communities in Their Classrooms. Middle School Journal, National Middle School Association (Reading 4.2- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Zirkel, P. (Dec 2001/Jan 2002). Decisions That Have Shaped U.S. Education. Educational Leadership, 6-12 (Reading 8.3- The Teachers, Schools and Society Reader). Read More