In today’s education world the topic of social justice comes up much more often than it used to. Teachers are faced with challenges today much different than from the past. Teachers have to be accommodating for a wide range of children, and yet be able to teach them all the same material. Children are all different whether its age, gender, religion, race, etc. teachers have to be more accommodating than any other professional. Although social justice is sort of a broad subject, I think in elementary schools it is really about community involvement, acceptance, and teaching students that everyone is different, but that’s a good thing.
Social justice can be an issue or a topic that all teachers are going to face throughout much of their career. It is important that teachers give their students one hundred percent all the time so they can get the best education possible. Putting everyone’s differences aside, and focusing on education, is really what teaching is all about to me. Whether your working with children with disabilities, children with broken homes, or any situation, t is important that all receive equal attention and are treated the same. Although this can be difficult for teachers, especially when planning a curriculum, or lessons, its part of the job and it’s something all teachers have to face at some point.
Model of Education:
When creating models of education, and deciding what needs to be done, it is extremely important to consider what the children should be getting out of their education, and what the teachers need to do in order to create that. Throughout my experiences in schools I have come across many things I both agree and disagree with in the classroom. For example when doing my student observations, I loved how both teachers that I worked with were very organized. I think this helped the 2nd graders stay focused on what they were doing, and learn how to take care of the work that they need to do. On the other hand one thing I don’t really like seeing in the classroom is teachers who are completely oblivious to things that are going on in the room. For example the students I observed were doing silent writing work at their desks and three boys were doing absolutely nothing. The teacher had no idea because she was typing away at her computer. To me teachers really need to be aware of everything in the classroom to make sure the students are getting what they should out of their education.
Another important aspect of education I think is involvement in schools. I think it’s great when teachers encourage their students to do things at school such as a club, sport, or simple after school activity. The more students become involved, I believe the more likely they are to succeed both socially and academically. Teachers have to be on top of everything all the time. Teachers not only have to teach their students, but they have parents who get involved too. I thin kit is important for teachers to build good relationships with the students and their parents, to make their education truly successful.
The picture below shows both the open and closed models of education, almost everything I believe in falls under the open model for education. And although I do feel students play a huge role in getting their education, the one thing I disagree with on this model is that classrooms should be directed by students. I feel students should always have input and ask questions but I think it is a combination of students and teachers directing that can make a successful classroom.
Another Issue in Education:
As I wrote about earlier on in the year on my blog, I feel school safety is an extremely important issue because of the effects it can have on everyone. School safety has become a bigger issue over the past few years, and it is something that has increased nationwide. School safety has dramatic effects on everyone in the school. If there is some sort of violence or threat in school, it affects the teacher’s ability to teach, and the student’s ability to learn. For my interview I asked one of the teachers I worked with during my observations, a few questions about this topic.
Me: “When you’re here at school do you ever fear for your safety or your student’s safety?”
Mrs. Sewall: “In this school, no. I know this school is in a safe and secure area, so I am always comfortable.”
Me: “What safety precautions, if any, does this school take?”
Mrs. Sewall: “Well, we always have the typical fire drill and things like that, but since 9/11 we have had a new type of drill. The drill prepares the children for a situation where some sort of predator got into the school. The secretary makes an announcement over the intercom, the teachers lock all entries to their classrooms, and the children quietly take a seat on the rug. Although we have only ever had drills for this, it is a good thing for the students to be prepared for.”
Me: “Although safety isn’t a huge issue in a small town like this; would you be nervous let’s say if your children attended an inner city school?”
Mrs. Sewall: “Absolutely. My children aren’t in elementary school yet, but one is in preschool. I know he’s safe at school because it is a small community, with great staff that would be prepared for anything. But if I lived in a city I think my children’s schooling would be much more of a concern than it is now in a small town.”
