Teaching Common Sense by Desire

Teaching Common Sense by Desire - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

The current American high school curriculum is nowhere near perfect. Anyone can look at the United States' academic averages and see for themselves the disappointing reports and not have much hope for the future. As any controversial subject, there are many different ideas on how to fix this problem; some want to do something as little as instituting a mandatory dress uniform, while others want to be as drastic to completely throw out the old curriculum and replace it with something new. I believe the problem can be helped--but necessarily fixed--by adding a "Life" class into the States' curriculum.

Today in America high school students are being taught that they should be entitled to everything: housing, respect, money, education, work--the list goes on. This kind of mentally not only produces egotistical young men and women who are unappreciative of what they have, but also makes them unwilling to work. Furthermore, no one is allowed to speak their opinion or punish anyone without it being labeled as a hate speech or abuse. In short, our students are being coddled and lied to. This protective bubble being put around them means well, but in no way will help them in the future. In fact, it is blatantly hurting it. If we expect our students to ever achieve anything in school or, more so, life, they have to be self-driven and crave to be better than what they are. I do believe this should be taught from early on, but the cliché saying is true: "better late than never".

In order to help students grow into fine young men and women who are ready to take on the challenges of the future, we should introduce a "Life" class in high schools. This class is one that will give teenagers the opportunity to learn what they should have been learning their entire lives, but have made excuses to not do so. It will show students how to:
· preform general repairs around the house and car
· understand how simple everyday items work
· make and grow meals and foods and take care of animals
· get started at the bank and other legal basics
· survive in an emergency in different environments
· teach something of their choice to the class
· hold a respectable debate using fact checking and listening to other point of views/conducting research
· Be resourceful and inventive to find solutions to problems
· Etc.
And these things will be taught in a completely different way from how studies are being taught now. This class will be built on the students realizing that they won't always be helped; the teachers aren't there to give them the answers. The students will have to find ways to do things on their own and/or help each other up. They will also learn that not everyone shares their opinions or beliefs or wants help, nor are they nice about showing it. These and much more will indirectly be taught to help them.

Hopefully what the students learn in this class will be the spark they need to realize life is coming real quick, so they better straighten up. Or, in a nicer way, to get them prepared for the future. When they see that they can do things for themselves, they will have the confidence and drive to achieve more in both school and in life. "Life" as a class can do this and change the lives for the better of many high school students across the country.