Response to Education

Lawrence O’Donnell first begins with how he did in school. How he would get bad grades and blame it on the teacher. In all honesty, I did that too not too far back in High School. I would also blame my Pre-Cal teacher for giving us hard assignments that I thought I would fail on. I failed the class, but I know now that I didn’t really try hard enough. O’Donnell tells the audience about student achievement. He says that the teacher is one of the variables, but home factors are the most important part.

Mr. Campbell, my Algebra III teacher was probably one of my favorite math teachers. He gave us life lessons for the seniors and I remember one particular piece of advice. “When you learn, 50% is at school and 50% is on your own.” Mr. Campbell said. O’Donnell says, “Home learning environments, individual student aptitudes, individual student effort, the student’s expectations, the student’s family’s expectations, the number of students in the classroom, the list goes on and on”. However, O’Donnell explains that politics have assumed that the reason why students are failing is “entirely the fault of teachers”. Now I am well aware of the Blame the Teacher theory, because I have used it first hand and I have seen others use it. Until I got to college however, my perspective shifted. I do believe that a student must set high standards for him or herself in order to do well in school. Not to be racist or anything, Asian parents expect their students to have high grades.

In the Philippines, my dad wanted to become a journalist, but he was forced to become a doctor. But that is not the topic of this response. More importantly are the teachers who want their rights. This has been eye opening for me. I had no clue teachers were getting treated like crap, in fact they have to put up with uncooperative students as well. It did piss me off when that reporter compared teaching and acting. “It’s because they love teaching” Matt Damon says. Matt Damon has a love for acting and teachers have a love for teaching. O’Donnell touches on police officers, another government job. “No one investigates how well policemen do their job. Some have fired their gun and have accidentally injured others, but some have deliberately and maliciously used it.” O’Donnell explains.

“Teachers who have committed their lives to the classroom deserve better than our politics have given them”. I watched this video, and I also read what Christian Pyle had to say about adjuncts and the caste system of teaching. Not only that, but I know that Fayette County has hired Filipino teachers who work hard and receive little. They love teaching though, and they are good in their craft. I believe that the individual is truly the one who paves the road to success. Teachers will help students on their way to building levels for a house, but it is up to the students to either continue building/maintaining or breaking it down. From what I have read and what I know, I think that teacher’s should be given the credit they all deserve. They should be given the recognition for changing people’s lives. And in return I believe they should be given their rights.