News
Briefly
Calendar of Events
Commentary
Opinions
Sports
Diversions
One time, one night
Special Section
World News
Classifieds
Login
Letter Submission
Search
Archive
Publishing Policy
Mail Subscriptions
St. Cloud State University
College Publisher
Home
>
Opinions
Teachers' power can go both ways
By Debbie Peterson
Published:
Monday, December 9, 2002
Debbie Peterson
Teachers have a wonderful power. Throughout the course of their careers they are given the chance to influence the lives of many students, students who will one day collectively organize and run the world. They also have the chance to expand the way a student perceives the world and their own personal life.
I wonder what a teacher thinks and plans when they begin their job. I presume that their goal is to help children, to teach them, and through this attempt, to ready them for the world that waits for them in the future. Some teachers that I have been taught by do this admirably.
Others have left me confused, wondering if they actually understand and realize the importance of creating an open communication line with their students. Clear communication is the only way to create an atmosphere where people are capable of and willing to learn.
Unfortunately, some teachers do not explain what they want and expect from their students, leaving them questioning and confused about their assignments. I have been in a class in which the teacher turned back an assigned paper and then told the class what was actually expected. This caused a lot of stress, stress that apparently would have been avoided had we possessed the ability to read minds.
Good teachers listen to their students' observations and try to clarify them through discussion.
The best teachers also instill the ability for students to think for themselves. Those teachers introduce to their students all of the given information and evidence and then ask them to decide for themselves what they believe. Teaching this skill, the ability to think for oneself, is often more important than math, English or whatever the main subject of the class is.
These classes are actually based on the independent thoughts of people from our past. Without Pythagoras or Shakespeare's individual contributions, the accomplishments that came from their own questioning of modern information and methods, and the decision to improve upon them, what would we be studying in these classes today? For their education to be a success, students must be able to think, to determine for themselves the best route to take in any situation and to provide logical reasons for any action.
Teachers' prime responsibility is to ready their students for the real world. A person's ability to know oneself and to determine what they truly believe in and feel is unquestionably important.
I am grateful for those teachers who understand the importance of instructing students how to think for themselves, those who are open to questions and debate and those who possess the ability to initiate and create discussions. These individuals are a learning institution's greatest asset.
Privacy Policy
Network Advertising
Article Syndication
