The System

If I had a longer life, I would devote it to changing the education system. Now, this isn't about me believing I don't have the time or the power to do this, it is about discussing the possibilities of change and at the very least, empower those who feel defeated in school.

Why would I want to change the education system?

Psychology itself explains that people learn in different ways, and although the education system is part of teaching psychology, it is the furthest example from it. We take one way of learning and offer it to a large group of students, and some succeed and others fail in the eyes of the system. But if you were truly teaching psychology, you'd take that course and teach through it. If you are teaching kids about different ways of learning then you better be using that in your teaching method. Education is not meant to be separated from the teacher. The teacher is just as much practicing the course as the student. The teacher may know more about the course and that is why they're called a teacher, but you cannot call someone a teacher if they have stopped learning themselves.

I am a 23-year-old female, and I teach dance to young kids and young adults. Quite often you get a kid that doesn't listen. So as an education system we single out these kids and punish them for being different. But aren't we just feeding the negativity that kid already has? If somebody is acting out, love them, hug them, talk to them so they feel "normal." Normal as is in safe, and included. It may take time out of your class, but what the hell are we rushing for anyways?! Parents are always saying "where does the time go" when they watch their kids grow up. Then slow down! Don't put high expectations on your three-year-old, it makes no difference if they will have a career or not by expecting them to be grand before they can speak! And as a teacher I set goals for my students, not expectations. Life is short but not that short, take your damn time in educating these young kids and young adults; teach them patience by setting an example of patience every time you are around them. YOU ARE THE COURSE. Kids learn more from the person at the front of the room than the piece of paper set in front of them. We discipline "mean" kids by being mean to them... where the hell do you think they learnt that from? Show them the better way of handling their anger, their sadness; they already feel bad enough they feel this way, what they need is love. Show them an example of somebody who understands how they feel. And if you don't know how they feel, then fucking ask them! We tend to separate the thought of human and child, both are human. Just because you are an adult, does not make you more human. The only difference that separates adults from children is experience. The thing us teachers forget is that children are not stupid, they just don't know yet, and when they don't know they copy somebody with more experience than them. That doesn't sound like someone who's not smart. Nothing is separate, if you listen to children they will show you that, you just need to stop and listen. Be patient.

When I was in high school, I was angry. I knew from the time I was eight years old what I wanted my career to be, and the school system didn't provide that for me so I found it elsewhere. When I would come in to school and tell them I wouldn't be there next week, I have a dance competition, I can't do gym today I need to rest, I don't want to continue with science it's taking too much time out of my dancing... I was told "you need a back up plan for your career." I agreed with them. But just because my back up plan doesn't involve a school course doesn't mean it's not real. Gym teachers would snicker at me for putting dance before "real sports" and were not supportive, math teachers glaring at me for missing a class because I was off learning something other than math, councilors telling me they were concerned about my happiness due to my lack of effort in school. The weird thing is, if somebody would have told me "I understand you have something you love more than school but do your best here while you can" I probably would have shown more effort to care. I would have shown more effort to care, if somebody showed me more effort and care. Instead I felt that I had to prove that I am still somebody grand even though it goes against the school system. Everyone told me "you can't make it just as a dancer, you need a plan B" and I refused to believe that. Here I am at age 23 and I have made dance my career with no plan B. Yes I do have other options should I need them, but I was told I couldn't do this, and that's not the sad part. The sad part is it wasn't as difficult as I was told it would be. Teach your students to fulfill their passion alongside school. Don't separate what you teach in school and kids learn outside of school; it is all education and all valid.

Maybe I will get the time in my life to change this, and if I do, I would make school more fun. I would slow down the rate we are jamming information into our students' brains, I would give them more time to spend outside and get exercise, I would ask them how they're feeling, I would sit down with them and talk, I would say "it's okay you're having a bad day," I would teach that it's okay to take a day off, it's also okay to work hard, it's okay to be different but it's also okay to be the same. That's another thing... take some time to teach them life. We sit down and learn English, Math, History, etc. but we don't take the time to teach them common sense. Don't get me wrong, I would be nowhere if these main courses weren't taught to me, but this isn't life. Show them how to live. Show them how to have fun. Teach them about nature, about food, about paying bills and signing a lease, about earning your own money and having savings, about becoming your own person. Take more time to let your students teach you. Let them learn their own value system and then teach them the proper way to use their value system and not for power or control. There is a difference between being powerful and using power. Be equal to the children we are teaching and you will gain their respect, but if you demand respect then you are teaching them that they are powerless. We want the children to be confident. Teach them that confidence is another word for power, and with that they will not use it against you. Be the children. We are all in it the same way, we are all one.