Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence in an Urban Context

Education in the United States, although it supersedes that of many other nations, still leaves much to be desired. Elementary and secondary education are repetition of one another. As someone that has been schooled in America from kindergarten all the way through college it is easy for me to see that it is repetitive. The school set up, the course curriculum, the environment, and the teachers, with the exception of 2 or 3, are all very much alike. Elementary education focuses on learining the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics. I visited the same farm and museum every year I was in school. The teacher talks and the child listens. The classroom environment doesn’t foster curiosity, children are not encouraged to question teachers and what they are being taught. As a student your responsibility is to memorize what your taught and be able to recite it back to your teacher and/or write it on a test. Secondary education just like elementary education is a repetition of topics. The child is taught to elaborate on their writing, reading, and mathematical skills. In secondary education you venture out into science and are allowed to dissect a frog here and there but your still not giving the freedom to express your ideas and challenge authority.    

A major shortcoming of the American education system is the pressure it places on children. Oftentimes children do not ask for further examples or clarification on a topic for fear of being perceived as being dumb or slow. Educators themselves may ridicule the child for asking questions with an “obvious” answer. Children are afraid of being teased by other classmates for not knowing the answers. The schools’ curriculum are loaded with exams testing the ability of children but not everyone is able to perform under pressure. There needs to be more of a group effort and collaboration in the educational system. Teachers do not always know best. Children should be allowed to bounce ideas off one another and see the perspective of more than just one person. In high school my history teacher, Ms. Mandell, would always have us play jeopardy before an exam so we could become more motivated to participate. Learning does not have to be boring, educators need to find ways to engage their students and motivate them to learn. 

Another HUGE issue is the lack of motivation and incentive teachers have. Currently we are seeing how mayor Bloomberg plans on laying off thousands of teachers and the Senator in Wisconsin wants to do away with the teachers’ union there, the first institutions to be attacked when the government needs money are schools. Government funding for education is being cut down consistently. America places great emphasis on the need for education but it doesn’t provide it the necessary amount of respect. Teachers’ salaries are pitiful and many people who are not educators have little or no respect for educators. How are these individuals going to be motivated to provide our children with the best education possible when their efforts are not given any merit? In order for our youth to be motivated to continue their education action must be taken to revamp the current structure of our education system.