Today’s school experience can be summed up in a solo word: pressure. Pressure is placed on the school board to make sure it hires the right teachers and that they are implementing the curriculum in the best way. Pressure is placed on the teachers to teach the students all of the necessary knowledge to pass state and national tests. However, through research, it has been found that the most pressure is placed on the students themselves.
Let me quote this beautiful thought from Marya Collins, “Don’t try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student surperior. When our students fail, we, as teacher, too, have failed. ”
Today, our children do not only have to compete against one another, but now, they have to compete on a globally. Students are put under a huge amount of pressure, which leads to unnecessary stress. Now that teachers have to “teach to the test” and compete with the rest of the country and world, we are losing the creativity and the curiosity in the classroom. More and more classrooms have gone to a lecture based lesson plan. Teachers feel the need to force a ton of information down the student’s throats in order for them to succeed and pass the required tests.
It can be hard to see how we got to this point. However, based on research and data, this isn’t working. Sure, we have a few kids that get it and move on, but so many students are left behind when participating on this fast track to learning. We have to remember these are just children. In a sense, we are ruining their childhood. Children just want to experience and play. Where is that in the classroom? Where are the hands-on activities? Where are the fun art projects and songs to help them learn? Why is everything so structured around lecture and worksheets?
As educators, we can help bring back the fun in learning and help our students inculcate learning into their lives without the unnecessary pressures.
By: Mrs. Robelyn C. Higuit | Master Teacher I | Balon Elementary School | Mariveles, Batan
