Education Dialogue Essay

Education Dialogue Essay There are many people in today’s society that believe going to school is essential in order to live a rewarding life. What people don’t understand is the fact that there are many different aspects of education and some are more important than others. Although practical knowledge is important to learn, there is a big difference between schooling and educating. There are many elements of education that stimulate growth and are necessary in order to fulfill ones learning potential. The purpose of education is to help humans grow and mature intellectually. Education should foster creativity and the students should be able to develop their potential by believing they are capable individuals. Education should also let the student’s curiosity and interests direct their studies. It is important that the learning environment is positive and will help the students develop their set of morals and characteristics such as respect, loyalty, and kindness. Boredom is the common condition of most students in any type of school. This could be because the teachers are boring which makes it nearly impossible for the students to be interested in what is being taught. The boredom may also be caused by the lack of imagination and creativeness in the classroom. It is important that education fosters creativity and lets the students express themselves individually. “The aim.., is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.” (Gatto, p.3) People would agree with Gatto in the sense that schools generally put down originality and confine students to standardized education. Many schools group students together based on test scores and proficiency levels and students start looking like robots as they go day to day in the same routine. In elementary school, I expressed my creativity in so many ways; finger painting, writing stories, coloring. It was difficult when I got into middle school and began taking classes that were strict in a sense that all I did was sit there, write notes, and regurgitate my new knowledge the best I could. It’s safe to say when I entered high school; I realized how much of my creative self I’d lost. I got so accustomed to taking notes, reading textbooks, and taking tests on scantron paper. I took a creative writing class my freshman year in high school. When I entered the class, I didn’t think I would be able to write creatively because I had just spent the last three years writing hypothesis and formal essays. Thankfully, there was a spark in my brain that lit and developed a passion for creative writing. Throughout the year, I wrote poems, short stories, prose pieces, I even attempted writing a chapter book. I discovered a creative side of myself that had been shaded out in middle school. The next year, I took Creative Writing 2 as an elective. I created poetry pieces that I was very proud of and I decided to enter one into a statewide writing competition. The poem was titled Magnolia and it won me second place. I had finally found something that expressed who I am, I loved writing and I was good at it. I was afraid that school would make me feel jaded and unable to express the things I feel and the thoughts I think. Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genus. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” This quote has been in the back of my mind throughout my years of schooling. Everyone is different; everyone has different skills, knowledge, and abilities. It is important that students understand that just because they may not excel in math or science courses, they may be outstanding in something else. “Schools are meant to tag the unfit—with poor grades, remedial placement, and other punishments—clearly enough that their peers will accept them as inferior and effectively bar them from the reproductive sweepstakes.” (Gatto, p.4) Standardized tests do a magnificent job of making students feel stupid or inferior to other students who score higher on their aptitude tests. Schools and tests should not make people think less of themselves because of poor scores. Throughout high school, I did well in my classes. I got my homework done on time, I quizzed fine, but when it came time to take tests; I froze and forgot all knowledge previously put in my head. Although I may not be a very good test-taker, I believe I have an important set of skills that cannot and will not be defined by scores and grades. The learning process begins on day one of life. Growing up means learning about yourself, your surroundings, and how to put the two together. In the early years of education, children develop their character and discover their set of moral values. I think it is so important that in any learning environment there is respect and kindness being encouraged. People learn at a young age how they are going to interact with others. It is necessary that young people learn how to be kind hearted and understanding. Education should give students, a sense of right and wrong, good and bad. It should teach people the importance of respect, trust, and compassion. Character traits are developed in the early years of education so it is crucial that the learning environment encourages positive character and makes it possible for the student to expand a strong sense of morals. The world is a tough place but it is important to teach young people how significant it is to have compassion for other people. Today’s education system is a controversial issue because there is so much to be taught and some topics never get touched in public school. Education should let students develop themselves creatively, let the student’s curiosity and interests direct their studies, and it should help the students develop their character, morals, and teach the significance of compassion and respect. Education has many different aspects that should, all in all, stimulate growth and fulfill one’s learning potential by letting them discover and express themselves. Standardized education can be toxic because it groups students together and does not leave room for creativity and open-mindedness. Education should inspire students to be individuals with positive mindsets and outlooks on life.