Social Justice
How is there going to be Peace when there is no Justice? -Cliff Richards
Social justice is one of the most important things that a child learns while they are in school. It doesn’t help them pass tests or get them a better grade, but it does make them a better person and teach them how to treat other people. Children act the way they do because of the way they were raised and because of the way their parents behave. If schools don’t begin teaching children about tolerance and acceptance of different types of people then they could grow up with hatred and biases. In today’s schools and classrooms many of the students and teachers are diverse and need to be able to work together to reach a positive outcome. There are many different races, religions, and languages being brought into the school systems and work places and children need to be taught that it is something they are going to have to deal with now and especially in their future. Racism and intolerance is not accepted or well received in schools or in the work place. Children cannot grow up and be successful if they don’t know how to work with other people.
A great way to teach children about other people and their beliefs is to have them work together and form bonds and friendships at an early age. In a school setting teachers can have their students do group projects or work together and help one another on an assignment. Teachers could group students together that share differences and don’t know one another very well. By doing this the students might not feel as intimidated or nervous about talking to the other person. After working with them they might realize that he or she is just another person and that they really aren’t as different as they thought. They may even realize that all of the things they might have been taught about people who are different by their parents or friends are untrue and unfounded.
Another way that teachers can inform their students about how people aren’t really that different is to educate them about all types of races and religions. The upcoming holidays can be used as a great tool to educate children about what different people do around this time of year. Teachers can explain that a lot of people have different ways to celebrate the holidays and maybe have the students share what they do. In an interview I had with the teacher of the classroom I was observing we talked about this very subject. “During the holidays the children are obviously excited for the whole month of December. About a week after they get back from Thanksgiving break we start doing holiday activities and I make sure to not leave anyone out. Each week we spend a short amount of time learning about a different way of celebrating the holiday season and don’t just focus on one.” I thought that this was a great idea and incorporated social justice into the classroom nicely. It let the students explore the different ways that people enjoy the holiday season and that their way is not the only one. They could do activities like read books, color pictures, tell stories, or do a project on a celebration that is not their own so they can learn more about it.
Overall I feel that social justice is an incredibly important subject that must be taught in schools. Not only does it create a person that doesn’t hate people because of who they are, but it also creates a teacher that can educate their friends and family with their new knowledge about how people really aren’t that different on the inside.
Model of Education
"Education is like a double-edged sword. It may be turned to dangerous uses if it is not properly handled." - Wu Ting-Fang
After reading this quote I realized that this is exactly what I think of education only put into better words. Of course education is meant to help children and give them enough information, motivation, and knowledge about the world so they can succeed and live successful lives, although it doesn’t always turn out that way. Education and learning is never going to hurt a student but the person teaching it and the methods they use can. If a student is taught material that is too hard for them and do not receive help they could lose motivation and self worth. They may begin to believe that they are stupid and stop trying or even worse they could drop out of school. Education and teaching is a very delicate thing and the students need to be handled with care. The teachers need to try their best to make sure that they are doing their best to assist their students and guide them as they learn. A teacher cannot simply throw information at their students and expect them to learn. Teachers need to explore what teaching method is best for her students and think of ways to switch up her lesson plans. Teachers need to be able to teach using all different types of methods and not limit herself and her students to just one. It is not productive to expect students to adapt to a teachers way of teaching because it just doesn’t work like that. If a teacher is just blurting out information students aren’t going to realize that they have to change how they learn because what happens is that they just stop listening and fall behind because they’re not being engaged in the learning process.
Education can be a wonderful and empowering thing when it is taught properly and when teachers think highly of their students and vice versa. There needs to be respect and consideration for one another in the classroom so that the teachers continue to want to teach and the students still crave knowledge.
Education is not only meant to make sure that its students succeed in life but to also make sure that they are happy. Many teachers would rather see their former students making less money and happy than rich and miserable. Teachers strive to make sure that their students do their best with the knowledge they have obtained and want to see them happy and well. I feel that is a teacher educates her students well then in the end the student will grow up knowing who they are, what they believe, and what they can accomplish.
"An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life." - Source Unknown
No Recess
In today’s school systems up to 90% say that they have up to one recess per day where students get to play outside or indoors to get a break from their constant school work. Although ever since 1989 studies have shown that recess is getting shorter and less common in schools. The main reason for getting rid of recess is the need for more instructional time in the school day. Many schools are feeling pressured to be the best and make sure that their students are the smartest and do well on the standardized tests. Many teachers claim that recess disrupts the students learning and causes them to become distracted throughout the school day and not do as well on tests. But these results are not correct and studies show that students have recess or a break in their routine often do better on exams and pay more attention in class.
After conducting more than 200 studies it is clear that students who are allowed to have recess are more attentive while in class, less fidgety, retain information better, have better attitudes, and increased fitness. This is because throughout the day the brain needs time to recycle chemicals that are key factors in long term memory use. So if recess does not occur then students may be answering questions and doing worksheets one day but they may not remember any of the material the next. Students who had recess also had better skills with social interaction. For some students recess may be the only time during the day that they get to socially interact with their peers. If they sit at their desks all day and just do busy work then go home and do their homework, watch television, and play video games like many children do then they won’t be getting much interaction with their friend or peers. Recess is an important part of a child’s social development and should be included in their day. Recess can also help teachers discover which of the students are bullies and what ones are being picked on. They can also see if any of their students are isolated and not talking to others. Teachers can fix these qualities in students that they may have not noticed they had before. While sitting in a classroom teachers don’t get the full personality of the students they’re working with but during recess they can really see what the child is like.
Recess can also have an effect on a child’s health. A child is not supposed to be stationary for the entire day they need to be active and moving throughout the day to use up all their energy and burn calories. With obesity rising in small children action needs to be taken and I think recess is a great way to do that. Many teachers and parents think that P.E classes can overtake recess and be just as productive but studies have shown that this is wrong. Research shows that unstructured and unplanned playing stimulates that mind and body more than P.E where they are told what to play and how to play it. With recess many students have to work out games that they are going to play and come up with rules. There is much more unplanned running and jumping and playing which stimulates not only their body but also gets their mind much more involved with what they are doing.
Overall I can’t see any school getting rid of recess after all this research has been done. It is clear that recess doesn’t only help a child’s body stay in shape but also keeps their mind going and helps them pay attention when they get back to class. Students who are allowed to have recess tend to listen better in class, get better test scores, be more socially interactive, and be better fit than those who are forced to sit at a desk all day. I don’t see how any school system could think that getting rid of recess would benefit their schools reputation or it’s students.
Interview on Social Justice
In the interview I conducted I focused on the issue of there being a decreasing amount of recess with this classroom. I interviewed the teacher of the classroom I was observing mainly because I remembered how during her lessons she would always be looking at the clock and rushing as it got closer to recess. She always had to move quickly to make sure the students got to recess and would often complain about how there wasn’t enough time in the day. We talked about how she thought that recess was excellent for the student’s development but couldn’t always fit it into her schedule.
• How often does your class have recess?
o Once a day most of the time but sometimes I can’t fit it into the schedule and we don’t have it or it gets shortened.
• How often does that happen?
o Oh not too often maybe once every two weeks.
• Why do you think that a lot of schools are eliminating recess out of the school days?
o Definitely because of the pressure of standardized testing and all the new material we’re expected to teach. The school system expects us to teach everything and still have time for recess. We’re lucky if we have a minute in between each activity to breathe and move on to the next topic. There just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done.
• Do you think it’s beneficial for the students learning to cut recess out of their day so they can have more instructional time?
o Absolutely not. I think that children should have time to be children for at least ten or fifteen minutes out of their day and get up out of their seats and run around and play. I think it’s good for them and their learning. A teacher can’t expect an eight or nine year old to sit and listen all day and not start to fidget or not pay attention. It’s just not realistic so children need recess.
Works Cited
"Education Quotes." ETNI. English Teachers Network, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
Jarrett, and Olga S. . "Recess in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say? ERIC Digest.." ERICDigests.Org - Providing full-text access to ERIC Digests. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
Moncur, Michael. "Quote Details: Wu Ting-Fang: Education is like a... - The Quotations Page." The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
Richards, Cliff. " Quotes about Social justice." Gaia Community — An Online Gathering of Environmentally and Spiritually Conscious People. Gaiam Inc., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
