The Potential of Children

Concerning the nature of students, I believe all children are not born with the same level of intelligence, but all children have the capacity to learn. I do not think that children are born entirely good or entirely bad. A child is influenced by his surroundings, and models his behavior to match the people closest to him. Knowledge is relative, and the level of success a child achieves in school is directly correlated to the amount of support and encouragement he or she receives at home. Public education serves a variety of different functions. Most importantly, education helps to shape children into competent, self-sufficient adults. Schools reflect and promote society’s values. Important social skills needed in the work force and everyday life are learned at school, such as sharing, compromise, and the importance of teamwork. As a student, I want to encourage and help children to reach their full potential. I want students to realize that they are all different, and understand that diversity is a good thing. I believe that there are different types of intelligence, and creativity is just as important as logic. Teachers’ behavior should reflect values such as tolerance, compassion, forgiveness, and open-mindedness. Effective communication skills are needed to encourage students to share their concerns. Teachers should not try to persuade students with their personal points of view, nor should they shy away from showing students that they have strong beliefs. An ideal classroom environment is one that allows students to feel free to express individual beliefs. Concerning discipline, research shows the time spent disciplining students is negatively related to achievement. Flexibility is an important aspect of discipline. Constantly taking away privileges and threatening punishment can cause students to feel intimidated and victimized. I consider my attitude towards education to be eclectic. I agree with the idea that people learn best from what they consider most