We all have that one teacher.
That one teacher who begins every class excited to teach us, regardless of the time or the day. That one teacher who devotes his or her time to making sure we each understand, learn, and master a topic. Of course, they motivate us to grow and excel not only in a specific course, but in life. They venture beyond the material and easily transform who we are and who we'll become, sacrificing their lives for our futures.
Teachers have an important role in the lives of young people. The slightest action from them can make the largest difference in our lives. I believe Professor Robert John Meehan summarizes the exemplary relationship between teachers and students: "Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning."
From pre-kindergarteners to high school seniors, there are 3.2 million teachers educating 49.4 million students. An average teacher, over the course of his or her career, will affect over 3,000 students.
As the population of American children increases, the number of teachers are not.
Many college students avoid becoming educators because of the many new disadvantages associated with the profession. When students want to become the teachers, they understand that there is usually no monetary incentive. Most enter with the passion for social change. The concern is, in addition to an inferior salary, teachers today are denied the opportunity to change lives for the better.
Governmental regulations such as No Child Left Behind, a bipartisan effort, began as an optimistic educational reform plan. No Child Left Behind was designed to close the educational gap from the geographical, racial, and socioeconomic disparities that existed within American school systems. While believed to usher in a revolutionary change, those disparities still exist 14 years later.
The problems with the American educational system not only stagnated, but worsened. By prioritizing standardized tests and consistently underfunding education on all governmental levels, the United States has made it extremely difficult for teachers to give exceptional classes.
Millennials are a product of this educational method, and it is the reason why Americans are underperforming against nearly all industrialized nations on earth.
As a person who didn't particularly perform well on standardized tests, I absolutely despised them. Annually, from second grade to senior year, I was lectured on the importance of bubbling in those awful Scantron sheets.
I was lectured because, today, they determine everything. Teachers want us to succeed, so instead of teaching us applicable information, they're teaching us guessing techniques. I wonder how much I missed out on learning because of the hours I spent reading the booklets, taking the practice tests, or attending the test prep classes.
If you want more teachers, and, more importantly, if you want better teachers, give the power back to them. Only regulate in order to make sure students are learning the appropriate information. I firmly believe that poor education is the basis of our many problems facing our nation today.
A well-educated America can lower unemployment, lowering poverty in the process. A well-educated America can provide opportunity for all, launching our country into true equality for all. A well-educated America can create 21st century inventions. Our future lies with the next generation, and education will give them the tools to achieve greatness.
Let's give teachers the incentives to motivate and inspire that next generation. Let's stop forcing teachers to robotically spew out standardized information, and allow them to experiment in the classroom. If we take these steps, America's future will become optimistically unpredictable.
The most important job in the country shouldn't require the most sacrifices and restrictions.
Let's turn "that one teacher" into "every teacher".
Sources: "Teacher Statistics: How Teachers Make a Difference", "Why today’s college students don’t want to be teachers" -Washington Post, "No Child Left Behind: An Overview" -Education Week
