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Do We Expect Too Much of Our Teachers? |
I love teachers and think they are the
unsung heroes of our generation. Today's teachers have to
compete with MTV, BET, iPods, iTunes, cell phones, text
messaging, reduced school budgets, less parental involvement
in schools, the No Child Left Behind Act and a host of other
concerns.
It is time to give teachers more support by
developing a comprehensive educational ownership curriculum.
In 2004, our nation spent over $382 billion on education.
Many teachers, parents,
administrators, business leaders and politicians are
frustrated with the current system. The key is to
significantly change the way students participate in their
school experience. We have spent billions of dollars on what
adults will do for their children. Let's change the focus
and get students more actively involved in their own
education.
Think of positive impact on our nation's education system if
we doubled the student's portion to two%, and spent those
monies on an educational ownership curriculum for all
students from 5th through 12th grades. Students would learn
how to become more active participants in their educational
experience.
To be successful the educational curriculum must have the
same priority as core subjects like English, math, and
science. It is not enough for schools to simply teach a new
Federal or state mandated curriculum.
The educational ownership curriculum, consisting of
character education, life skills and goal setting, would
teach students how to plan and how to take action on their
dreams, the importance of eliminating excuses and how to use
the goal setting principles in the classroom. Students would
learn the importance of volunteering and helping others, and
how to replace negative thinking with positive, reaffirming
statements.
When students take educational ownership, they take personal
responsibility to do something positive to change their
lives. The curriculum would be designed to give students a
better sense of purpose and to increase academic
achievement.
Students would learn that there may be challenges in their
path, but that they do not have to become insurmountable
roadblocks to a student's future. With ownership comes
dignity and self-respect.
An educational ownership curriculum is the answer to many of
today's school problems. Making character education, life
skills and goal setting programs a top priority will pay big
dividends for our children. These skills are transferable to
a student's personal life, the workplace, and the future
development of their families.
It is time to make educational ownership a priority. We are
developing our future leaders. Let's give them all the tools
they need to be successful.
Shared with permission from a Teaching Moments newsletter:
www.TeachingMoments.com.
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