What rights should be protected for students and teachers?
When it comes to a classroom , an environment that needs rules to function as a space for learning we look to the teacher and the administration to follow the school's regulations to make sure students have the best chance to learn. But by doing so often times a thing that is overlooked is the rights of not only students but also the rights of Teachers. Consider this ,Teachers are restricted in what they can teach or talk about in the classroom. While I do believe in some restrictions to this rule not being able to open up certain discourse about content or topics feels like a disservice to students. Students would have much to gain from being able to discuss openly with their peers and educators in a space were it wasn't taboo to talk about difficult subjects. Likewise , another area Teachers need to be protected more is in our salaries. Teaching is such important work and for the stigma to be that people shy away from teaching because it doesn't pay enough is a shame. Molding the minds of the next generation shouldn't cause the ones doing it to have to barely afford their way of living. Another important right that should be protected for students is the right to learn ,with aides and different programs any student regardless of disability should be granted a fair and enriched education. As public schools stand because of where a student may be zoned they might not be given the care they need to succeed because the school is not given funding for aides or disability training. That needs to change , those students have just as much as right to learn and have a future than any other student attending school. Overall I think that there is a variety of things that can be changed in our teaching system to protect the rights of our Teachers and Students to better the environment they learn in.
Hi Michael! I love how you brought up subjects that some teachers are not allowed to discuss. It truly is a disservice to students so I agree completely with you on that. I think this point goes so well with history classes, we need to be allowed to teach the truth! There is no shame in the past IF we learn to do better and that starts by teaching the harsh reality of our nation's history. Often times teachers are so blind-sided and focused on following the rules that they do not see how unjust some of them are. I also believe that teachers should get paid for the effort they put in, which would be a lot more than they are paid now. Give teachers livable wages! I agree so strongly with the topics you brought up and I think you did a great job on this post.
ReplyDelete-Catarina
Thanks So Much Catarina ! I agree livable wages is such an important topic in regards to teaching , we need to help our teachers be paid what they are worth as they do a important service for our country. Likewise we should be teaching history in all shades of color as to not sugar coat real history.
DeleteHello Michael, I appreciate the fact that you brought up this idea that teachers talking about curtain subject that are seen as "taboo" is not necessarily the teachers decision. There are many times in an educators career where they are told what they can and can not talk about. I think that this is especially seen when teachers begin to teach on subjects like slavery and segregation in schools, this has always been seen as a sort of touchy subject and there are many details that are lost in translation when students are first learning about these subjects because of the fact that many teachers are told what to teach. I think that you brought up some fantastic points in your post and I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I very much want to encourage the freedom of information for educators everywhere as its important that we reach our next generation and give them the tools to see the world from a multicultural standpoint.
DeleteHello Michael! I absolutely love the points you touched on in your response. I also believe that setting strict limitations as to what may be discussed in the classroom is, many times, detrimental to the learning process. For instance, social studies and sexual education remain extremely controversial and it severely stunts student growth. By censoring important historical information, we distort the next generations understanding of major events. This has serious impact on the way in which students will come to conceptualize history and current events. Comprehensive sexual education is also vital to ensure a healthy student body population. However, this area of academia is typically regarded as “taboo,” resulting in a great deal of abstinence-only sex education programs. I also completely agree with you in regards to the need for rights that protect students’ access to education. Too many times, children and adolescents are met with extreme adversity when attempting to receive a well rounded learning experience. It is vital to ensure that the right to learn is protected in every single individual case. Under no circumstances should education ever be denied.
ReplyDeleteI believe in educating our students as much as possible , as when they leave to college a lot of them experience a culture shock and realize history was taught them in a molded way leaving out major details.
DeleteHey Michael,
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree that it is a disservice for students to be limited on what they are learning from us, but the limit is also a benefit for the limit. The benefit of the limit is that racist remarks and ideals are not being spread to our students. I think that the material of what we are teaching to our students should be reviewed and changed, but I do believe that having the limit gives students the ability to reach appropriate material for their grade level. If we were to change the right how we monitor the teachers that are racists, misogynic, and just an awful person spreading their ideals on their impressionable minds. They might not being learning everything and it might be the victor side of knowledge, but it is our purpose to direct them to expand their knowledge outside of schools also.
-Krista F.
You bring up a solid point. I would advocate for some restriction , as we can't monitor teachers case by case and teaching material based on what certain age groups can handle is certainly important. Though I would try to find some compromise between our ideals as while I don't condone any teacher just ranting ideology at the top of the hat , I do wish for the content that is allowed for teachers to talk about to expand so that we can have well rounded students.
DeleteThanks For the Feedback !
Hi Michael, thank you for sharing your thoughts on the rights of students and teachers! I definitely agree that the restrictions that are placed on the discussions that teachers are allowed to have in the classroom can be a disservice to students. A lot of topics, especially regarding history, are sugar-coated in textbooks and it is discouraged for teachers to expound upon certain stories/topics. This is an issue because students will eventually have to have these controversial and uncomfortable conversations, and we should prepare them for this. Teachers are overworked and underpaid and this is such a big issue that. It is not all about money, but it can certainly be hard to convince people to follow their dreams of becoming an educator when they are unsure if they’d even be able to live comfortably when it comes to finances. I love that you brought up the rights of students with disabilities. We have to advocate for them as educators because they truly deserve better! -Kristian Pogue
ReplyDeleteExcellent points ! The public school funding for programs for those with disabilities is underfunded and as a public we should change that. Likewise we should invest more in our teachers as we are public servants , although we are payed we are educating the masses and should be able to live without struggle like any other career.
DeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have gone on a rant about your first idea about teaching difficult subjects on a few posts but it is really important that teachers don't skim the surface of certain events. There is an extent to the limits of what they teach. Teachers definitely should not teach a one sided topic, instead have an open discussion about all viewpoints that way students can determine their own opinions on the subject matter considering their age and grade level. By doing this, children begin to develop deeper knowledge of the world and make connections between now and the past as well as seeing how things have changed. I also love that you mentioned the rights for students with disabilities. I have not seen anyone talk about that yet since we are so focused on more current protests around the world regarding students rights. A fair and equal education is crucial for any student.
I agree , it should be a conversation so students can formulate their own opinions with all the information available! One of the big things I stand by is that anyone should be given a shoot to succeed regardless of who they are , and kids with financial struggles or disabilities shouldn't be swept under the rug because they have just as much right to learn as anyone other student.
DeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the things you mention in your post. I like how you acknowledge that with some of the current restrictions in teaching, it takes away from the possibilities of our students understandings of the world. Taking away this opportunity only pushes us further from enriching our students with knowledge. While certain restrictions are valid, some current ones should be reviewed by educators and the parents of these students because our students have the right to know the history of our country and current events. I also love that you brought up educators right to having a salary worthy of the work they do everyday. Recently, I've been researching the current circumstances of our country's teacher's shortage. An article I read stated that COVID has only highlighted the problems that our teachers have faced for years; being underpaid and underappreciated. On that note, we are losing our educators more and more every day. Our government needs to acknowledge the labor that teachers do for our youth and give them deserving wages that align with that work.
Our labor as educators should be recognized despite how hard a job it is seen as , many people disagree that educators should have higher wages. There is a big disconnect in people's conception as to what the job should be payed at and that needs to be altered. Likewise they are so many people of color throughout history that we just don't get a chance to learn about other than during the civil rights era .Which is a major disservice to our students as they miss out on learning about potential role models and icons that fought for justice that they might relate to.
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