“You are a leader. What difference will you make?” To me, even the meaning of this question has changed over the course of the semester, as I prepare to change my major into secondary education, with a focus in life sciences. As I move forward into this field, it brings with it a whole new scope of challenges that differ from nursing. The biggest problems I see with education begin with the lack of funding for education. Many schools are growing older and older, in great need of repairs throughout, and of updated books, technology, and other supplies. To fix these repairs and improve supplies is to create an optimal environment for learning and to be able to provide students with the materials they need to succeed. Today, there is so much focus on funding for our military, the war on drugs, and in trying to fix the economy that education seems to be left out, or underfunded. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great causes, and I’m not saying directly that funding should be cut in these areas. I just used these as examples to juxtapose the funding these areas get with the funding for education. To work to fix this problem, I believe that I, along with other groups of educators at the local, state, and national levels, will first have to continue to work to figure out how to best improve test scores while still promoting learning for our students, not simply teaching to the test, which I believe does students no good in the long run. If, as educators, we can improve testing scores while teaching our students valuable lessons, not just in our subjects, but in life as well, that will benefit them long after they leave our class, then the importance of education will grow in the public eye and be seen as something that both needs and deserve funding. At the same time, educators like myself will need to continue using our professional groups at all levels to present education in the best light possible, and to advocate for more funding for education at a political level. However, it seems as if the argument that test scores would improve if education had more funding is not enough to increase funding. I have to believe that it test scores, and student learning improved without a significant increase in funding initially, then education will be viewed as something that deserves more funding so that we can provide the best possible environment for our students. After all, education is the foundation for our own future leaders. Increasing funding for education would not only improve the educational environment and provide the materials our students need to succeed, but it could also solve other problems by increasing salaries for educators, who are cultivating future leaders, which could in turn draw more people to the field of the education as a career.
2 Comments
Erin
4/21/2015 10:18:33 am
It's great that you considered the difference you can make in terms of your new major/future profession. It's really exciting that you've changed to secondary education and I think you will make a very effective educator. You made some great points about needing to secure more funding and resources for schools and the need to raise awareness of some of the challenges that exist in the educational system. If you have room in your schedule during a future semester, I encourage you to take the honors seminar, Save Our Schools. It would be right up your alley!
Reply
Sam
4/27/2015 11:32:38 pm
Thanks for sharing, Adam. I am glad that the course challenged your viewpoints on leadership. Finding something your pasionate about, like teaching, can become the foundation of lifelong leadership. I wish you all the best in the rest of your endevors!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2015
Categories |
|