Opinion
But what do I think? After reading the book and discussing every aspect of it with my classmates and teacher, I've developed my own opinion concerning the American education system.
There's something that can be taken from each of the three countries that Amanda Ripley focuses on in the book. In Finland, students are given a great amount of autonomy. The faculty trust the students to act responsibly, and they do. I compare this to my school where we can't go to the bathroom without a signed pass from the teacher. This makes me wonder: Why should I trust my teachers if they don't even trust me? It's questions like this one that prohibit rapport from blossoming between student and teacher in the classroom. Whenever I bring up, for example, the fact that seniors are not permitted to leave school for lunch, with my friends, I receive the same answer every time: "There are always going to be the few people who ruin it for everyone else." I realize this. Freedoms must be earned. However, a student won't try to maintain a privilege they don't have.
When I began the long process of researching colleges a few months ago, I noticed that almost every college/university had an education major. I didn't think anything of it until I finished the book. For teachers in Finland, there are few opportunities. Only the top universities in the country offer certification meaning applicants must work twice as hard to even be considered for these schools. Once in, future educators go through hours of student teaching and critique from advisers to perfect their teaching style. When I look at what Finland is doing to prepare its teachers, I think "Perfect!" So why is America not doing the same? One would think future teachers should be fully prepared before they are certified.
"Those who can do, and those who can't teach."
This quote symbolizes a mindset held about the teaching profession. In order to completely change education, we must change the way people see teaching. Teachers in Finland are like celebrities in America. Only the best, most qualified people are certified, and they receive the respect they've worked hard for. This is something I think needs to be transitioned into the United States. I know it won't be easy to change how an entire country views the profession, but it's certainly a start.
Even in pressure cooker Korea, there is something that can be learned. Through Eric, we see what stress does to students. He had already graduated from American high school, yet he found himself overwhelmed by the demands of Korean high school among kids who were a year to two years younger than him. I had always thought that the work load I received from my teachers was enough to bring any teenager to tears, but I was wrong. Students in Korea work day and night (sometimes even illegally) to maneuver the system and make it to the top of their class. A large majority of American teenagers lack the will to work. Korean students are dozing off in class to get enough sleep to stay healthy. Where is the happy medium? If we can meet in the middle and develop a strategy so students want to work and want to do well in school, we'll be one step closer to a better education system.
I have noticed that whenever an argument is started over what should be done about education in America, it takes an eternity to come up with a solution. In Ohio, there is a motion to do away with Common Core and adopt Massachusetts education standards. Instead of completely doing away with Common Core, why not take components that worked from it and combine them with aspects of Massachusetts system? This could only create a better system than what was previously in place. I found it interesting how, in Poland, they did not try to fix what they had. The government threw out the old and put in a new, more efficient system. Yes, people moaned and groaned about the sudden upheaval, but they got through it. And if Poland can rise through the ranks of education after an enormous change, then why can't the United States?
The United States is excelling in a surplus of areas, and education should be one of them. We need to educate our teachers before they can educate others. Teachers should be rewarded for outstanding performance and given the respect they deserve. We should be modeling our education standards and techniques after Finland and other countries who are rising above and beyond expectations. Only after we revise our education system can America truly be considered an education superpower.
There's something that can be taken from each of the three countries that Amanda Ripley focuses on in the book. In Finland, students are given a great amount of autonomy. The faculty trust the students to act responsibly, and they do. I compare this to my school where we can't go to the bathroom without a signed pass from the teacher. This makes me wonder: Why should I trust my teachers if they don't even trust me? It's questions like this one that prohibit rapport from blossoming between student and teacher in the classroom. Whenever I bring up, for example, the fact that seniors are not permitted to leave school for lunch, with my friends, I receive the same answer every time: "There are always going to be the few people who ruin it for everyone else." I realize this. Freedoms must be earned. However, a student won't try to maintain a privilege they don't have.
When I began the long process of researching colleges a few months ago, I noticed that almost every college/university had an education major. I didn't think anything of it until I finished the book. For teachers in Finland, there are few opportunities. Only the top universities in the country offer certification meaning applicants must work twice as hard to even be considered for these schools. Once in, future educators go through hours of student teaching and critique from advisers to perfect their teaching style. When I look at what Finland is doing to prepare its teachers, I think "Perfect!" So why is America not doing the same? One would think future teachers should be fully prepared before they are certified.
"Those who can do, and those who can't teach."
This quote symbolizes a mindset held about the teaching profession. In order to completely change education, we must change the way people see teaching. Teachers in Finland are like celebrities in America. Only the best, most qualified people are certified, and they receive the respect they've worked hard for. This is something I think needs to be transitioned into the United States. I know it won't be easy to change how an entire country views the profession, but it's certainly a start.
Even in pressure cooker Korea, there is something that can be learned. Through Eric, we see what stress does to students. He had already graduated from American high school, yet he found himself overwhelmed by the demands of Korean high school among kids who were a year to two years younger than him. I had always thought that the work load I received from my teachers was enough to bring any teenager to tears, but I was wrong. Students in Korea work day and night (sometimes even illegally) to maneuver the system and make it to the top of their class. A large majority of American teenagers lack the will to work. Korean students are dozing off in class to get enough sleep to stay healthy. Where is the happy medium? If we can meet in the middle and develop a strategy so students want to work and want to do well in school, we'll be one step closer to a better education system.
I have noticed that whenever an argument is started over what should be done about education in America, it takes an eternity to come up with a solution. In Ohio, there is a motion to do away with Common Core and adopt Massachusetts education standards. Instead of completely doing away with Common Core, why not take components that worked from it and combine them with aspects of Massachusetts system? This could only create a better system than what was previously in place. I found it interesting how, in Poland, they did not try to fix what they had. The government threw out the old and put in a new, more efficient system. Yes, people moaned and groaned about the sudden upheaval, but they got through it. And if Poland can rise through the ranks of education after an enormous change, then why can't the United States?
The United States is excelling in a surplus of areas, and education should be one of them. We need to educate our teachers before they can educate others. Teachers should be rewarded for outstanding performance and given the respect they deserve. We should be modeling our education standards and techniques after Finland and other countries who are rising above and beyond expectations. Only after we revise our education system can America truly be considered an education superpower.
Maya Hiday, Butler Tech/Lakota East High School, Ohio, United States