Teacher's Matter

I can recall every single one of my elementary school teachers. These particular teachers had such a huge impact on my learning experience. My favorite teacher was Mrs. K. Davis; she taught my second grade class. Mrs. Davis was very tall with long blonde hair and always dressed to impress! She was creative, a ton of fun, and most importantly, she truly cared about her students. She went out of her way to make every student feel accepted and to make sure everyone was on the same educational page. Mrs. Davis was an exceptional teacher. I can remember going back to visit her every year until my family moved across town. The teachers of today do not carry the same qualities as Mrs. Davis did, and sadly it reflects within the students. I am a firm believer that teachers make lasting impressions on their students. An exceptional teacher will make for an exceptional student.   

            Education is the most valuable tool a person can own. The higher the education, the further one will excel in life. America is not receiving the education it deserves. There are many factors that play into why the education system is failing Americans. First, I believe it starts at home with the parents. The parents have to do their job in helping to ensure their child is studying, doing their homework, understanding the work, and getting the help needed if their child doesn’t understand the work. The parents have to be involved in their children’s academics in order for their child to succeed. I know firsthand how difficult it can be to be actively involved in your child’s academic life. It’s easy to get too busy in life and expect your child to take it upon themselves to get their homework or their studying done on their own. The reality of it is, without the push from their parents, chances are the child will only dedicate half the time needed, if at all to their schoolwork. If the parents aren’t involved, the kids assume their parents don’t care and that’s where the downward spiral begins.

            I also believe teachers play a huge part in how successful a student can become. There are plenty of exceptional teachers out there such as Mrs. Davis, but there are just as many mediocre teachers. I can recall a teacher in middle school telling the class that she will get paid whether we pass the class or not. I now know this is true compliments of teacher tenure. “Teacher tenure is the increasingly controversial form of job protection that public school teachers in all states receive after 1-7 years on the job. As of 2008, 2.3 million teachers have tenure. Proponents of tenure argue that it protects teachers from being fired for personal or political reasons, and prevents the firing of experienced teachers to hire less expensive new teachers. They contend that since school administrators grant tenure, neither teachers nor teacher unions should be unfairly blamed for problems with the tenure system.” (Procon.org) While I certainly understand why teacher tenure was started in the 1800’s, I also know this is a different day and age and if teachers aren’t preforming then neither are the students they teach. Teachers of today have to be creative in their teachings if they want to make a difference and see their students excel. With our schools filled with a variety of students, we need quality teachers. Teachers, that truly care and not just there for a paycheck.

            “It is estimated that 7,000 students drop out of school every year, teachers account for about 60% of a student’s ability to succeed and students with higher performing teachers progressed three times as fast as those with low performing teachers (Oprah.com).” Given those statistics, it seems as though something needs to be done to fix our system. What I find even more shocking is that in 1971 it cost $4,300 per student and in 2010 the average cost per student has risen to $9,000 and yet there has been no improvement in reading and math scores since 1971!

            Now, I may not be a genius when it comes to fixing our educational system, but as a parent with two children in public schools, I do know that having an exceptional teacher matters. I also believe that the elementary and middle school teachers are the most important and influential teachers in our students lives. It is during this time our students are growing up and if the teachers can get them interested in learning and keep their attention, they have a more successful chance in excelling in their education. Teachers make more of an impact in our children’s lives than we realize. I know I had several teachers throughout my life that really inspired me to learn and I also had many teachers who didn’t. The one thing I do know is that teachers truly matter.