#5

Mara Leamon
Chapter Nine Reflection
1. The quote that stood out the most to me in this entire chapter was the ending quote:
Turning out responsible citizens who will make our future world a better place is what
education should be all about. This quote spoke wonders to me. There are so many
instances where students finish high school and have no further education and cannot get
hired for a job. In most of these instances, this is the schools fault. In todays society, it
seems like education is only about how high your test scores are, it is not about preparing
students for the world ahead of them. As educators, we are molding the future people of
America and if we just teach them to the standards of a test, what will America become?
Whether you are a general education or special education teacher, teaching inclusion or
life skills, the goal of a teacher should always be to further their student as best as
possible. It will not happen in a day or a month. It takes time and there will be always be
challenges but the passion of the teacher should always overcome those challenges.
2. The two biggest things from this chapter that I want to apply to my teaching is using
tough love when appropriate and to include experiential instruction in my classroom,
whether that is through practicing life skills on a daily basis or encouraging my students
to partake in a work study before they graduate. Priorities need to be set for each and
every student for them to be successful. It will take time to meet the priorities of every
one of your students but that is okay because, to me, being a teacher means every one of
my students succeeds. The only way they will succeed is if their educational needs are
met and they are well prepared for a future ahead of them, educational or work based.
3. When does tough love become too extreme?