Utopia and How to Reach It

      Could school be more boring? It seems to drag on and on. If it weren’t necessary, I wouldn’t go to school, simply because it is not very enjoyable. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some classes may have very little work to do, or a teacher in a class may be a great instructor who knows how to make work fun.

      Despite those exaggerated remarks which precede, I humbly confess that I would not change everything… Were I in charge of setting up my dream school, I would hunt for and hire dedicated professors intent on making the class atmosphere enjoyable. This would obviously result in two things: Students would be more eager to learn and students would be better able to determine what life they wish to lead as an adult. One of my real life examples (and one of the very few I’ve had) of such a teacher is my present English 9 teacher, Dr. Gen. He combines tough learning with a pleasant mood within the classroom. Such a thing can be accomplished by using witty remarks and presenting interesting conversations, something Dr. Gen comes up with quite often.

      Having fun while learning seems to be indispensable. In my dream school, I would hire all the teachers that fit my requirements of levity yet eagerness to teach. This would definitely be my priority because it would solve another problem, in addition to the two others listed above. Tardies would no longer be necessary. And because each and every student would be dedicated, we could turn bad pupils into good pupils, and good learners into great learners.

      Another alternation that I would carry out would be that students are not divided into grades, but into their own skill level of something. For instance, if a student was a math genius at 13, he would be put into a math class that would prove a challenge for him. However, if that same student was struggling, for instance, in English, he would be put in a lower level of Language Arts class until he caught up with the desired level. The only class that would not be changed would be physical education because it is very important to have a healthy body (Mens sana in corpore sano).

      The next issue that I would oversee is the amount and type of work to be done. Homework would be assigned every night. This homework would simply be a review of everything learned in class that day so it would be not forgotten. This is important to me because review homework helps me remember things for tests. Completed homework would be rewarded with something of the student’s choice (maybe candies, a much needed pencil or eraser, etc.).  
 

      Tests would be assigned every three weeks. This gives time for preparation. On the third week, review packets would be done in class and the teacher would go around personally to every student who does not understand a certain subject. The teacher would spend as much time as was needed for one student (and possibly postpone a test for that particular student) and would move on to the next person requesting help. Projects would be assigned individually; group projects would not be acceptable. From personal experience, it usually ends up with smarter/ more dedicated students doing more work than the others.

      My utopian school would be located on a beach with good surfing and body boarding waves. This provides a great external ambiance which could serve as a way to soothe school stress. Snack would be only 15 minutes. Lunch, however, would last for one hour! Therefore, a student could choose to spend the whole hour in the sea (we would also hire lifeguards so don’t worry about drowning).

      School would start at 7:45 in the morning and end at 3:00 in the afternoon with classes just as long as they are presently in my school. Seven minute passing periods would be daily, even on Mondays, when there would be a minimum day (I just hate it when we don’t have a minimum day for a month at a time) so everybody would look forward to it. In addition, all holidays would be celebrated as they are in our school.

      The number of students attending my utopia school would be pretty much the same as in my present school. In utopia school, clubs, activities, and sports would all be included. Sports would receive the best equipment available, clubs would be open to anybody, and any suggestions by the students could be examined with interest. This would also be very financial because: 1) the equipment would be effective for longer periods of time and 2) students would pay better attention to the items because they would be expensive.

      We would also have a non-teaching staff very similar to that of my present school’s system. There would be a principal, assistant principal, office workers, custodians, and anybody else that was required. However, instead of a committee deciding what new school items were deemed appropriate to buy, all requests would be sent to me (Hey, I am the one running this whole operation…err, the essay, I mean.)

      We would not include anything religious at our school, because this may end up offending some people that attend. I believe it safer to keep everybody neutral than to make some people happier than others. Preaching for a certain religion would also be prohibited as it may provide instability and cause annoyance. We would also not warrant uniforms, so everybody could express their way of dressing.  

      Food-wise, lunch would not be so expensive. In my community, the lunch used to be around $2.00 but now it is $3.00. It is a considerable change considering how many lunches a student can buy in one year of school. The price for a lunch in my school would be $2.00 and the food would taste better, be healthier, and we would put a bit more than a simple taco and an orange, or chicken patty sandwich with nothing accompanying it. This would probably bring in more students to eat at the cafeteria and so we wouldn’t have a money problem with the food, even if it is a dollar less than our school.

      So there you have it. How I would make my school more exciting, enjoyable, and to make it so that somebody really doesn’t want to miss school that day. What is school nowadays exactly? This is the dictionary definition: an institution where instruction is given, esp. to persons under college age (And as the old saying goes, “Who wants to live in an institution?”). That should ultimately be the purpose of a school, but why not add something in the process? School should be where children and teenagers want to go to learn, not where they are forced to go to “memorize vocab and take a test today.” So it is obvious that when all students are eager to learn and all teachers are eager to teach, the only possible name for my school is “utopia”!