My personal view of education can be best described by this quote by Albert Einstein: “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”
The educational role of the teachers is to encourage students to think for themselves. The teacher is present to act as facilitator of knowledge, but not to monopolize the time lecturing at their students. They should create a learning environment that encourages students to discuss complicated matters in order to shape their worldview and encourage tolerance of others’ ideas. Teachers should allow students a voice in their own learning by including projects, presentations, and other creative outlets for students to express their own personal beliefs and ideas. Also, they should be able to teach and explain in several different styles to accommodate for differences in students and how they learn.
Perhaps the most important factor in earning an education, is the student themselves. They should be encouraged to discover how best they learn by doing different projects and assignments that strengthen their creative skills. In my school career, I did not find that I was challenged enough creatively, therefore, I struggle with coming up with ideas that are “out-of-the-box” and I feel uncomfortable without guidelines. Also, students need to learn life skills that will equip them as they become citizens of the community, instead of just memorizing knowledge from textbooks.
The curriculum taught should include the four common core classes: english, mathematics, science, and history, but it should also include and encourage students to become involved in extracurricular activities such as sports, fine arts, agriculture, home economics, languages, and many more. Students should be required to take several included in the list above to help them become well-rounded individuals.