A buried question
January 26, 2020
Student life can motion an endless cycle of production. Things are continuously thrown on the list. As time goes on, many of them focus more heavily on what needs to get done, rather than how they can get things done well. Within the 24 hour day, amidst the many tasks on their plates, students are seldom afforded the time to reflect on the hidden gem of education. Without a clear answer, they are left confused about their journey in education.
Students know about the surface-level purpose of school: It is to academically and mentally prepare them for unknown destinations. But is that going to inspire an unmotivated student? Is it going to give students the confidence they need to be “life-ready”? By all means, the purpose often is ironically ambiguous.
For years, educators have been teaching students to become influential thinkers and compassionate citizens. The curriculum sets well-rounded skills as they are necessary for today’s world. For example, students who walk into a classroom may include qualitative and quantitative skills on how to craft an argument or find the net force of a moving object is going in with similar goals.
For many students, like junior Brian Edwards, these goals are not being fulfilled. “I feel prepared to go off to college, but I don’t feel prepared to have a plan for life,” Edwards said. “It is tough to find something special when you’re so overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do. I know that the workload is to prepare us for college. But it makes us feel like we need to get things done, rather than looking forward to it.”
The education system ultimately puts students in a place where they expect to learn and foster their opinions as global citizens. Whether students think about their values in education or not, they understand the responsibilities of a student. They know about the importance of skills that teachers are trying to foster.
“You probably won’t need to know [the curriculum], but it’s the skills that you develop from the class,” junior Clayton Penttila said.