Challenging Teachers

As childhood roles around, comes and goes, all children have different experiences in school. There comes a time when everyone will be faced with a challenging teacher. These situations can help students develop, or do the exact opposite. What I mean is that the word challenging can be interpreted in different ways. Following are some of my own experience as a student and some of the teachers I encountered who represented the different interpretations of the word challenging.
There are many different problems in education. So much focus and effort is put into solving issues on structure of the classes, and especially on standardized tests, but the problems can lie in the methods of a teacher. In the seventh grade at my middle school, one of the teachers stood out as a challenging teacher. In this example, I mean challenging in a bad way. Mr. Preston was a science teacher, and from the very first day at school I could tell that things would be going downhill. It was the moment when he tried to pronounce my last name, Piatkowski, in front of the class as he was reading down the list. Most teachers think it is a challenge, but an interesting one. However, Mr. Preston perceived it differently and seemed to be annoyed by my name. I never really had a teacher that disliked me before, and this wasn't even my fault so I wasn't accustomed to this kind of situation. The entire year it seemed as if he ignored me, and even rolled his eyes at me at one point. Not surprisingly, when my younger brother had him, the same thing happened. That is why Mr. Preston was a challenge. When a teacher has a negative attitude toward a student from the very beginning, it is harder for the student to succeed in that class in an enjoyable manner.
A different example of challenging teachers dates back to my times in elementary school. In reality, it can be said that this teacher wasn't challenging enough and that was challenge itself. However, I think this attitude can be applied to most of these kinds of teachers in elementary school. You must be wondering what kind of a teacher this is and when I tell you, well, there is simply no disagreeing. The teachers in elementary school that aren't challenging enough are the art teachers. Mrs. Masa was my art teacher in my later years of elementary school and she was very kind and loved kids. Most art teachers who teach children love to be around them. Perhaps, too much kindness can be their problem. This is not to say that they should be the opposite, but by being so nice they usually end up helping out kids too much. Mrs. Masa was just like this. Kids would say that they couldn't do something in those cute little voices and Mrs. Masa would end up “helping” them out on a large part of the artwork. This is a challenge for kids because it is so easy to just let others do your work. However, the real goal should be how to learn to create art on one’s own self. Perhaps, this is the reason so many kids these days always say how they have no artistic abilities. Their elementary school art teachers did their projects for them.
And finally, a different meaning of the word challenging can have a positive effect on a student’s education. This last teacher is on my list of one of the most favorite teacher’s I have ever had. Not only was Mrs. Lauver, an eighth grade social studies teacher, enthusiastic about her teaching, but she also taught in a way that was very enjoyable. Essentially, she was the best kind of teacher because she made learning fun. However, Mrs. Lauver was challenging in a way that not many teachers are. Whenever she knew if a student could solve a problem but asked for help, Mrs. Lauver would encourage that student to figure out the problem by himself. I had many situations like these, especially with the iPads. Mrs. Lauver was the only teacher in the building that had her own set of iPads and she always made me solve any technical issues I had with them by myself. I think that this method of teaching is very effective because it really prepares the student for the future, a future in which independence is very important. Students need to learn how to solve problems on their own and not have to constantly ask for help.
Challenging teachers can be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends on the situation and the way in which the word is used. I firmly believe that the education system in America needs more ‘good’ challenging teachers who are willing to make children more independent. After all, it is an important part of development and growing up.

Individualizing Education

The debate on the education system in America is a never ending one. From problems with having single valedictorians, to the issues of standardized testing, it seems that the people of this country will never come to a consensus on the proper way to educate future generations. My concern for today’s blog is about how the schooling should be effective for all. In many scenarios, children are not being challenged enough or are being severely stressed with classes they should not be in. However, the problem might not be with the class and the material. The problem might be enveloped in the methods of teaching.
In my opinion “effective school for all” means more individualized plans for education set up for each student. I understand that schools are already trying to achieve this through counselors and conferences, but I think it is not working to the fullest potential. Besides each student having a physical plan/record, I think that schools need to re-evaluate the fact that education is not the same for all students. Different people learn differently and for effective schooling to occur, this specific education needs to be targeted individually. Once again, schools are already trying to solve this problem by placing student into different level classes (CP, Honors, AP), yet each student will still approach education and learning in a different way in each class.
Therefore, the solution I propose is for the students to gain more say and action in how they want to be taught. Obviously, everyone can't just say, “I don’t want homework.” The students’ increased control of their own education needs to come with a firm and logical structure. School is ‘good’ for most people because it teaches very important skills for the future. Among these are English and how to write properly. However, schools also teach how to multitask and use time effectively.
Developing a sense of how to manage time primary evolves from too much homework. This, in turn, leads me to the conclusion that school is not good for other people because they are constantly sleep deprived. School is negatively affecting their health in a serious manner. On the other hand, it is a strong motivator to do well, get scholarships, a good education, and a well-paying job. Without a school system in place I would most definitely lack the motivation to keep on learning. Yet again, there is a counter to this with the fact that school is becoming monotone with constant test training.
There is an enormous amount of pros and cons out there about the current education system. That is why, perhaps, there can’t be an easy answer as to what to change in the system. However, making the curriculums more individualized would surely benefit everyone. Reform must come from the students, not from boards of education as is commonly perceived.

Two Dollars

The United State is categorized as a first world country, meaning it is a developed, capitalist, and industrial country. People that live In the US are lucky because there is lots of opportunity and many resources available on a day-to-day basis. Take, for example, a person living in an average sized house. First, there is a house, with windows, insulated walls, multiple rooms, and all that come with a house, here in America. The house provides a clean source of water, electricity, and security from the outside world. All this can be paid for by the job the person has. The grocery store nearby has a plentitude of fresh food and the mall has everything, ranging from clothes to toys. The person has a car to get to all these places and spend his money.
Now, what would happen if, suddenly, the person’s pension got severely cut to 2 dollars a day, or 60 dollars a month, which is only 720 dollars a year. The person would find himself in serious trouble, losing many things that that aren’t fully his yet. This is of course a worst case scenario because the person probably has savings and can find a better job. If he becomes homeless, organizations will help him find a home and take care of him. Most important of all, there is free drinking water everywhere.
The story is much more different in Liberia. People have to actually survive on 2 dollars a day. This includes food, water, clothing, and education for the children. Most people have to travel miles each day just to bring water back to their house, which is most of the times one room with no electivity.
Poverty is an enormous problem all across Africa. People still manage to live on those 2 dollars, so think how big of a difference you can make in someone’s life by donating a small fraction what you have. Unlike people here, in America, the people of Liberia can’t just go and get a better job. The opportunity for them simply doesn't exist. Make a difference. Donate today!

High School’s College Preparation Efforts

Every teacher in middle school tells the students about how high school will be different. It will be more difficult: the concepts will require more time to understand and the homework load will increase severely. However, the teachers explain that this is because high school is getting the student ready for college. The increased workload and different grading scales are suppose to mimic what college is going to be like. Many of the new elements seen in the high school do, in fact, get students more prepared for what is to come in the future, but certain aspects severely fail at this. The following examples will come from my own high school.
The first point is that the homework load is overwhelming indeed. This is similar to what is going to happen in college, yet small difference always exist. In college, students will have many more papers to write, longer assignments from math and science classes, and bigger projects. Yet most students only take four to five classes a semester in college and most of the classes are not everyday classes. This gives the students much more time to complete the homework and, more importantly, read ahead. High school is definitely much more condensed. The minimum amount of classes required per semester is six, and many student take seven as well. Every class meets everyday, which means that homework is very likely to be due that next day. Therefore, the workload seems to be overwhelming. Many high schools pride themselves with offering many AP courses, which I think is a great thing to have. AP classes are called “advanced placement” for a reason. They are college courses taking place in the high school. This is an excellent way to prepare for college because the material being covered is the same and the student can get a feel for how the material being learned changes in level of difficulty. However, once again there is that small difference that makes a big difference. The teachers in high school tend to be much more involved with the student when teaching the course; none of the classes are simply just lectures. The homework tends to be easier and so is the grading. In essence AP classes in high school only give an experience of how the course materials might be different in college.
The more concerning issue is that high schools are not preparing students for college early enough. What I mean by this is that I officially started worrying about college in the middle of Junior year, and now I have too many things to do and too many things to remember. Some people might argue against this with things like that the ACT and SAT tests are available to take in the eighth grade already. Sure, that is a big part of getting ready, but it surely isn't the only thing. Counselors should be more involved with student planning starting Freshman year. Everyone should start making lists of all the clubs, sports, volunteer work, hours, dates, and whatever else can be crammed into those college resumes because, after all, that is the goal of high school: to get that perfect looking transcript and resume to get accepted into the college of one’s choosing with scholarship money. Now, it is very hard to remember what I did my Freshman year. If I had received and official chart to keep track from the beginning, maybe I could feel a little more relaxed. Instead, I have to try and do as many things as possible during my Junior and Senior year. Maybe the problem is that high schools don't hire enough counselors. Each counselor at my school has about 400 students and that is too much to individually help everyone in their future plans. More counselors could mean better quality of help from them. I encountered numerous occasions in which my counselor simply directed me to another source of information where I could do my own research. Or, in another instance, I was simply given a packet for a credit flex, instead of help where to find a suitable instructor to test me out of a different language I speak fluently.
In short, high school is trying to prepare the student for college, but not to the fullest potential. Obviously I wouldn't want for high school to be exactly like college, but I definitely would greatly appreciate more help in planning out my future in a college. Mass assemblies and power points simply aren't good enough. My suggestions would be to start early, get more counselors, and make planning more individualized.

It’s the 21st Century, not the 20th

The clock strikes 8 o'clock and the test begins. This time, they have mixed it up and the writing section is first, followed by the multiple choice. It is either a surprise or the proctor does not know how to read directions. I open up the booklet and, just like my teacher warned me, there is a question about women. It reads, “Assess the ways in which women participated in and influenced TWO of the following: the Renaissance; the Reformation; the French Revolution.” However, another likely question could have been to assess gender equality and how were women treated during the 18th century, or any other century.
The matter of fact is that gender equality has been a major aspect of world history. The question above was taken from an AP European History test. Although gender equality, and mostly female inequality, has been an issue since the beginning of time, it is important to acknowledge that the times are changing, the 21st century is upon us. Therefore, with this change in time comes a change in importance of the issue.
Today’s society is geared towards equality in every aspect: religion, race, and gender of course. There might be some exceptions to this, like gender inequality in Saudi Arabia, but, for the most part, people are trying to improve equality. The entertainment business has long ago championed gender equality, but the workplace is making progress as well. More women are finally getting CEO positions, or even simply promotions. Since, progress is happening, it would be wise to let it grow on its own and focus on more concerning situations.
Saying this, I believe that society needs to partially avert its attention to issues of hunger, unemployment, and especially debt, here in the United States. The government needs to be concerned with the economy because the progression for gender equality has already been set in motion and will keep on moving on its own. This is not to say, however, that ignorance is to resume. Once people open their minds to the idea that women are as productive as men in the workplace, these people need to keep those minds open. In essence, one can’t merely block out one issue to solve another, but rather multitask with many problems at once.
Supporting evidence of the ‘moving on’ suggestion has been clearly made in a book by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay. The two women are, surprisingly, not attacking and blaming men for women’s inequality. They say that the laws have been laid down, and that there are no legal limitations for women like there were in the 20th century. Now, it is up to the women to succeed. One of the problems that causes this notion of gender inequality to still exist is the characteristic of confidence and the gap between men and women in this area. Men have always had the upper hand, dominating the work place and building strong self-confidence along with it. Women, on the other hand, seem to lack the great male confidence, and are, therefore, treated as inferior. The quality of a woman’s work might be equal, or even superior to the man’s, but low self-confidence is what is holding her back. Sometimes, appearance takes the dominating role over the work put into a project.
As I conclude, I feel that the past generations have been successful in bringing about an environment where women can succeed. It is the women’s turn now to take advantage of this new opportunity. Maybe in a couple decades, the work force will be more or less split evenly among the male and female gender, but why wait so long to start solving another issue. It is time to be less concerned with gender equality, and more with other persisting issues at hand.

Saudi Inequality

Aidah al-Nassar is a 37 year-old woman living in Medina, Saudi Arabia. She is married and has two children. Her husband is a businessman and works in the city, while Aidah has to stay at home and take care of the children. The family’s life is governed by Sunni Islam.
In the 2013 Global Gender Gap Report, the World Economic Forum released a ranking for gender parity from 136 countries. Saudi Arabia placed in the 127th place. Certain steps have been taken to fix gender inequality, yet many laws and traditions, including religious interpretation, still prohibit women from the rights they would have in other countries. Following is a section of a response from Aidah to what she has to say about the issue.
First, I would like to address the causes for the gender inequality in my country. Many people would believe that the Islamic religion is the sole factor for the many prohibitions placed on women. However, I tell you that is not the only factor. Even here, in Saudi Arabia, there exists a saying: “It’s the culture, not the religion.” Therefore, many of the laws come from the government and the traditional customs of the Arabian Peninsula. What outrages me the most is the fact that most of the gender laws that are in place are merely interpretations of the Sharia, or Islamic law. In my country, the Shaira is interpreted according to a Sunni form called Wahhabism, or the way of the righteous predecessor. Judges, or shall I say men, are left with discretionary power to exercise in favor of tribal traditions
On the upside, there have been some improvements in recent years. For example, in 2011 King Abdullah announced that women could finally take part in voting and running for office in the 2015 elections. More women are receiving a proper education. In fact, more of the university graduates in Saudi Arabia are woman than men. Having excellent qualifications, they are still not treated fairly in the workplace and gender separation is a prevailing problem.
This leads to the fact that nothing can mask the traditional and culture disadvantages we, as women, experience everyday. I have two children and a household to take care of, and yet I am not allowed to drive a car. Think of the many errands a mother in the Americas performs and how important it is to drive oneself to the store. But even if I were to walk to the market, I still need a male chaperone called a mahram, or a male relative. Our freedom of movement is severely restricted because of traditional beliefs in a patriarchal system of the past that should have long ago been abandoned.

…

It is time now, that all the women in Saudi Arabia stand up and speak out against the problems gender inequality. We have suffered too long, and such an issue should most definitely not exist in the modern world we live in. The time has come to make a change, not to the religion, but to interpretation and custom. Equality for all!

Roger Federer

      Everyone has an idol he or she looks up to it. Whether it is sports, Hollywood, or other professional careers, the story of aspiring to be like these stars is a common one. The young generation tends to get obsessive about following exactly in their footsteps. This includes dressing, acting, and dieting in similar ways. Others search YouTube tutorials on how to exercise like their athlete idols. Some stars overuse this popular influence, but others remain like they were in their junior years: normal athletes who simply love their sport.
      As a tennis player myself, I have an athlete that I look up to: Roger Federer. Federer is Swiss professional tennis player and is currently ranked as second best in the world, after Novak Djokovic. Throughout his career he has been the number one player in the world for 302 weeks as recorded by the Association of Tennis Professionals. This is a world record. However, Federer doesn’t act like he is the best at all. His style of play is considered one of the best in the world and because it is so interesting to watch, Federer doesn’t need to promote himself in other ways.
     

This is why I look up to Federer. He does more than just playing a sport. He plays it with charisma and etiquette and really shows how complex and detailed the game of tennis can be. He doesn’t have the “show-off” attitude that some players have. I know that I am not going to be a professional player but I enjoy looking up to Federer as a role model. However, I don’t imitate his daily routines. I’ll leave that to the professionals.