RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

As I read these different research initiatives I am convinced that our reality is not working. Maybe it's time to approach education in a fantasy sense. The reality of it is that education as we know it is failing so many children. Children like Laurie and Jake and the countless others that are sitting in our classrooms. I have said it before, and I'll say it again. These same children are going to grow up and become adults in our society. What we (educators) do in kindergarten, first, and second grade etc. is going to impact the world. The children that we teach now are going to influence the world later. What we did or did not do, will depend on what kind of impact our students will have on the world. The reality of it is, is that we have a huge responsibilty on our shoulders. Yes the parents have a responsibility too, but all children don't come from loving and supportive families like Jake. So we have a responsibilty to attempt to make everychild a viable and productive member of society. The reality of it is that we have a "one size fits all" educational philosophy. Not "we" as in the folks in the classroom but "we" as in the lawmakers that make decrees about what should be so and they have never stepped foot into a classroom. In a fantasy world, children would be met where they are. In a fantasy world, children would be matched to a teacher as carefully and as closely as an Fortune 500 employer looks for an employee. In a fantasy world, children would be celebrated for their growth, not ridiculed because they didn't score as high as every one else. In a fantasy world, the child that could put together the 100 piece puzzle would be treated with the same awesomeness as the child that has never made less than an "A" on a math test. In a fantasy world, everyone understands that not all children are college bound and prepares them to be successful otherwise. In a fantasy world, teachers could voice their opinions and suggestions and they would actually be taken into serious consideration. In a fantasy world, teachers would be treated as the experts that we are, in the matters of education. In a fantasy world, teachers and parents would always work together for the best interest of their child. In a fantasy world, everyone would see education for its pricelessness and understand internally that without education we have nothing. Is it just me or is my fantasy way better than our reality?
Cherrita Hayden-McMillan