This is something I wrote for my creative writing class. My creative writing teacher got really mad at me and started shouting at me because I was late handing in a project. Riel suggested I post it to the blog, so here it is!
Recently I had a teacher shout at me because I was late handing in a project. When he asked me where it was I said it was at my house(which was true) and that I would bring it in the next day. He went on to tell me that he needed it today, and right now! He also said that I was two weeks late, and had given him excuse after excuse. In fact I was four days handing it in, and had not given him any excuses at all because for three of the four days I was not at school.
After all this had happened I felt very angry with him. However there is some good that came out of this experience. I realized a few very important things that I believe have the power to change the school system for the better. I realized that one of the most important things for children and teenagers is to be able to work in a stress-free environment. Ask any kid at school wether they find school to be stressful, and I can assure you they will say yes. I know most adults reading this are probably thinking the schools are fine, and don't need improvement. If that is so, then why is it that the number of challenged kids at school keeps growing? The number of kids with ADD and ADHD continues to increase. If our schools were getting better, then the children would be the best example. And yet so many of us dread a monday morning, and come home saying we're never going to school again. This doesn't make any sense because kids love to learn! Everyone knows this. So why do kids hate school so much? Ask yourself this.
The answer that I came up with is this; The school is set up to feel like a prison, I mean, just look at an empty hallway and you will understand! And the students, well they can sense this. It's puts them on edge, making it harder for them to learn.
Also, everything we are taught in school is supposed to help us face the 'real world', when in fact it is preparing us for a long life of slavery. To money, to work, and most of all to those who are considered to have authority over us. After all, the easiest way to control people is to make them believe they are free. We think that when we graduate we are finally free. Able to go out into the world and achieve our dreams, and even when we do get our dream there is still one thing most of us fail to see. And this is that every single person who went to school will continue to go through life according to what they learned in school. So what did they really learn in school? They learned that the most important thing is to listen without question to those who have higher social status and power. They learned that the opinions teachers have of their work matter more than their own. They learn that it is normal to feel constantly stressed out, and that it's healthy to sit and listen to someone else talk for six hours everyday, for years, and years, and years. Does this sound like healthy learning to you?
It is my belief that if the method of teaching was changed our schools would be able to teach any kid, without the stress, fear, and anger they would normally have to put up with.
So I ask that any adults or teachers who read this consider all of the above for a few minutes. Because it is important, so important! It is important that the students are surrounded by a safe stress-free environment. And it is crucial that we are told that our thoughts matter, and it is okay to speak up about what we believe. And please don't shout at your students, it's really rude and disrespectful.
And to all the kids who go to school, wether you're six or sixteen, please please please don't be afraid to stand up for yourself! Yes it is hard, and scary, and you might get in trouble. But you know what? It's worth it, and you won't regret it.
-Veda Daunhauer.
