I want to take the time to bring light to the education system in America. Schools all over the country are struggling. Whether that's with keeping teachers, students behavior and lack of motivation or the schools themselves being underfunded. The reason this is such an important topic to me is because I am currently a teacher. A teacher who is not yet qualified. I have been teaching 8th grade science for three years now. However I am only in year 2 of my college career. Isn’t that crazy! I work for a charter school, and with the growing issues in our education system, I have had to step into a role to help carry some of the weight. Schools all across America are struggling to keep teachers, for reasons such as the low pay, but also because adolescent behavior is getting out of hand. So many schools, like the one I work at, are desperate to fill these roles, Oftentimes having teachers teach multiple subjects or in my case, taking paraprofessionals and having them become full blown teachers. The education system should be the backbone of our society, preparing students for a successful future. However, with growing systemic failures, we have to stop and think, Is our education system setting students up for success or failure?
Why is there a nationwide teacher shortage? How is this impacting the students? Adults who may have once dreamed of being a teacher are finding the career less appealing. Mostly due to the low salaries. Also the extreme workloads, oftentimes having to take your work home with you. And one of my personal biggest reasons, the lack of respect for teachers. It's so common now to have the parents of your students be against you rather than on your side. With interest in teaching declining, classrooms are becoming overcrowded, and online learning is becoming more prevalent.
So what about the current teachers who are being underpaid but staying in the profession? Well many of them are forced to take second jobs, which can obviously lead to low energy. Low energy means less focus and dedication to the students who deserve it. Something I myself have noticed is that it affects my ability to be patient. Patience is so important when it comes to teaching young minds. I teach middle schoolers, these are kids who are going through puberty and learning who they are. With this comes many challenges that can be seen in the classroom. However, having teachers who aren't willing to help students through these hurdles can be damaging.
Are teachers like me, who are underqualified doing more harm than good? In all honesty I think yes. I think that is saying a lot considering I am going against myself. However if I am being honest, I am teaching a subject that I am not that familiar with. I do the best I can, making sure to teach myself and correctly pass on that information to my students. However I realize that there are questions my students have that I don't have the answer to. They deserve a teacher who is passionate about the subject and able to give them the energy of diving into the learning experience of the subject.
What about the lack of government funding? Especially in lower income schools who lack funding. Meaning they don't have the proper technology to keep up with surrounding schools. This also plays a huge part in their extracurricular activities. It’s not fair that students who attend lower income schools are not able to experience sports or be a part of activities like stage plays. Leaving students to be bored and dread school. I think this plays a part in that lack of student motivation. They have nothing to work towards, nothing exciting to keep them going. Our education is just simply not prioritized the way it should be. Students deserve new textbooks that are not outdated. They deserve equipment that is not passed down and worn out. They deserve a clean and updated school. I believe learning in a clean and positive environment is so important when it comes to students' performance.
So obviously the big question is, what can we do to fix our failing education system? Well we need to pay our teachers more. We need more resources to help improve professional development. Last but definitely not least, schools need more help from the Government. If we start with these three things, there will be a positive domino effect in our education system.
However, for now, those of us who are in education or may choose education in the future can continue to do our best for the sake of students’ education. It may not be easy, and it may not always feel personally beneficial, but it is rewarding to see that, despite these setbacks, or, in my case, lack of experience, we are trying our best and helping these students the best we can.
