On Switch

What makes someone want to learn? Is it the teacher? Is it the way the child was brought up? Maybe it is just in their genetics? All of these aspects can be true in relation to their passion for learning. Many times a person’s reactions for learning come from the simple fact on whether they are interested in the subject. If the subject is boring they will have no interest and words will literally pass straight through them. Although, once someone turns on a metaphorical switch in their minds, learning can become empowering. The problem with this, is finding out what is going to trigger the switch from off to on?

            “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X tells of his life and how education empowered him, but more importantly he spoke about what his on switch was when it came to learning. He only had an eighth grade education when he was serving seven years in prison. While in prison he became frustrated at the fact that he could not convey his thoughts properly because of his lack of education. He was then empowered to take on learning by himself no matter the cost. All he did for his education came from a simple dictionary. He went from being almost illiterate to “many people who hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or those who read something I've said, will think I went to school far beyond the eighth grade.” This type of education came from a dictionary, not fancy teachers or programs, but simply his overwhelming desire to be empowered by education.  He found his on switch.

Who is to Blame?

It is not a secret that the American school systems are failing in comparison to other countries. They are so bad that many schools overseas will not take the American diploma because the standards are so much lower. America is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but it is not meant to be the home of the uneducated. Unfortunately, this is what we are becoming as a nation.

            Who is to blame for our lack of education? Davis Guggenheim directed the film, “Waiting for Superman” and he puts a lot of the blame on the teachers and their unions. He supports the notion that if principals were able to fire bad teachers and replace them with ones who were passionate about their students, that it would fix a majority of the problem. After all charter and magnet schools are succeeding far past the public ones and they have more freedoms when it comes to choosing teachers. Are the teachers really solely at fault though? It may seem like it sometimes though because if a teacher is not performing adequately, then they will produce poor students. What if the student has no motivation to do well though? A student needs a support system at home too, in order to be successful in learning. So, maybe it is not just the teachers, but a combination of teachers, students, and the families that students are coming from. When these three things are in working order, it produces a student’s desire to achieve.