What are Schools for? What do They Offer?
I particularly liked this question
because I think that, for obvious reasons, it's important that we as
future teachers clearly understand what we think the purpose should
be of the institution we'll be entering into for a lifelong career.
First of all, I think that a school
should be a place that provides a family-like environment for
students who may not be so lucky to have that kind of environment at
home. Schools should be places that provide a sense of safety and
security for any child that walks through the doors. Unfortunately,
as the years have gone on, schools and their in inhabitants have
often become the victims of unnecessary acts of violence. Despite
this, I think it's important to remember that there are certain
situations that will never be able to be prevented and that as
teachers, we need to still provide the safest environment we possibly
can for our students. It's crucial that students feel, for the most
part, that a school is a place where they don't have to worry about
being physically, emotionally, or mentally abused in anyway during
those 8 or so hours of their day, even if they can't count on that
anywhere else. I do understand that this may seem to be an
idealistic, illogical hope. Bullies and gangs will always exist to
make the lives of other students a little more difficult, but we then
need to make sure that as authority figures we do everything in our
power to prevent any of the teasing or violence that might be caused
by such students.
In addition, I believe that schools
offer to students the means and experience in order for them to
explore their interests or different hobbies and then hopefully come
to an ultimate conclusion about what they want for their own lives
(i.e. What kind of career? A family? Goals? Dreams?). By providing
our students with an abundance of knowledge and the opportunities for
involvement in various sports, clubs, or musical events, the students
should come to a much better understanding about themselves as
individuals and the things that they truly value and enjoy. This is
essential in the lives of our youth as, once again, some students'
home environments don't provide this kind of guidance or opportunity.
After all, I feel that one of the ultimate goals of teachers and
schools in general should be to prepare and shape an individual who
will be fit to function successfully in society as well as an
individual with goals and ambition to both better themselves and the
world around them.