A realistic ideal classroom by Jeanine

A realistic ideal classroom by Jeanine - July 2020 Scholarship Essay

Many students spend more time at school than they do at home. With the amount of time students spend there, educational institutions should be a catalyst for students to flourish and grow. The idea of an ideal classroom varies amongst different people; some may yearn for exotic technology while others may want more extensive material. I believe that the idea for an ideal classroom should be something that can be achieved realistically within the realms of our typical classroom today. We need to expand our teaching methods, utilize a smaller teacher to student ratio and prioritize mental health and diversity. As time has progressed, classrooms have made drastic changes, but there is always room left to grow.

The most drastic change in classrooms over time is the amount of diversity. A few decades ago today, it would be unimaginable for the classroom to be a melting pot of cultures. Being surrounded by people from different races and ethnicities is key to getting well-rounded perspectives on even the simplest of topics. When students go beyond these four walls and have to interact with the outside world, they will be bombarded with people who don't look or sound like them. It's important for kids to understand how to be open-minded at an early age.

Along with diversity, an ideal classroom will have a small student to teacher ratio. Many times, confusion amongst students comes when they don't feel heard or feel overlooked by their instructor. Many children, especially at a young age lack the confidence to speak up when they're confused. This leads to many children growing up with the misconception that they simply lack intelligence. This may be due to the abundance of students but only one teacher to instruct the lesson. It would be ideal if there was at least one teacher assistant who could walk around the classroom and help students in smaller groups or even individually. This would allow for all students to feel heard and have smaller details of the lesson explained to them more thoroughly.

While learning is the most important aspect of a classroom, mental health is just as important. Many times mental health is overlooked even though it plays a vital role in students performance in the classroom. Students can get overwhelmed with excessive learning and information overload so it's vital to have time for students to wine down. I believe that between each lesson students need about 5 minutes to stretch and meditate before resuming class time.

While the ideal classroom may vary amongst different people, it's important to have realistic and achievable goals that can be reached. While there are valid reasons as to why some of these tactics are not in place, such as a lack of funding and time, it would be effective if these things could be implemented. Hopefully the future generations picture school as an exciting place to grow rather than a place to dread.