Carbon Copy Kids by John

Carbon Copy Kids by John - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

In today's day and age, we are told that we have to learn one way, and one way only. Test taking strategies and repetitive homework assignments guide our students and rarely deviate from the "preferred teaching methods." Because of this, the age-old stategy of teaching students based on their preferred learning mechanisms becomes passé. Teachers throughout the country who have been educating students for decades are beginning to retire earlier, and those that support individualized teaching methods are hiding in the shadows. Yes, there are classes that benefit greatly from this Common Core curriculum. Look to Mathematics classes where formulas tend to be a memorization game rather than creativity center. Though, the majority of classes do require more personalized techniques rather than a "plug-and-chug" strategy, as my Calculus teacher calls it. But because of the fear of unemployment once brought towards the idea of straying from the required county curriculum, teachers become too afraid to challenge the system and are instead, mindlessly following what "The Man" wants.

Why should teachers be paid–if you could even consider that a pay rather than just a volunteer service type "thanks for the hard work!" monetary check congratulating them–less than they deserve if the system just restricts what and what they cannot teach. It's immoral, unjust, and altogether, insane! I'm not one to tell my teachers how to run a classroom, nor do I criticize them on their job as a teacher, but if I were to give them one advice, it would have to easily be, "teach how you want to teach!" I cannot stress it enough! Teachers should not be restricted to something that they do not feel is beneficial to their students. Each student is different, and the system currently does not account for that. It is impossible to expect a system such as Common Core to be individualized. This is one main argument for having teachers in the first place! Rather than simple book learning, we have teachers to properly guide students in a direction that suits the student. Once we take that away from the teachers, they suddenly just become babysitters and trasmitters of information fed to them by the higher-ups.

We are not robots. We are not heartless, mindless beings. We are not carbon copy kids! We are humans. We have a brain. We have a heart. We are not the same. Teachers throughout the nation, I say to you now! Do not fall for the traps of the system! Teach how you have always taught! Personalize yourself with the students! You are not a robot. Please don't act like one, and please don't treat us as one.