"This is the Class that Isn't College Bound"

College Bound:  intending to go to college  ⇒ a talented college-bound artist.

When I was younger I had aspirations of being anything and everything from a pediatrician, an astronaut, cheer coach, zoo keeper, and a famous singer. My dreams and interests were entirely capricious and no matter what they were for that brief moment, I had the full support of my parents. As a parent now, I feel the exact same way about my son. Parents, natural protectors and defenders, always want the best for their children, and I’m sure l am not one in a million when I say that I believe my son can be anything he wants to be as long as he puts his mind to it.

During my experience in the Educational program, I have learned the importance of classroom management, inclusion for a variety of students (gifted and delayed/disabled learners), strategies for cross curricular instruction and an extensive list of other things. I’ve always believed that the overall goal for ALL teachers is, or at least should be to provide students with an education that is completely invaluable. We should be helping them in a way so they can succeed inside the classroom and as functioning members of society.

A part of being a functioning or contributing individual is working or having a career. And what is it that is preached every day to our children and students? That they must get an education and go to college. So what is the purpose of this blog post? Well for some time now I have been completely frustrated with the teachers around me. Now that I am student-teaching many teachers will ask how it is going, if I am enjoying it, and what classes I am teaching. My frustration does not come from the questions; it comes from the responses I have received from at LEAST 3 teachers once I tell them that I am currently teaching an English 4 class.  Responses that have varied from “Oh they are so hard to handle,” “I like AP/Honors better,” and the most disgusting comment of them all “Oh those are the students who are not going to college.” And then my immediate thought is “--UM, Excuse me?!” YES! Teachers have really told me this and they say it without any remorse (way to instill confidence in a future educator huh?).

What If I told you that I was once a student in an English 4 class, even though college was always on the agenda? I never believed that I was not going to college just because I was not in an AP course and I’ll admit that I did not always take my education as seriously as I should have, but I had my parents there to get me back on track. Unfortunately, not all students are lucky enough to have this kind of support and need their teachers (or just someone) to help believe in them when they don’t believe in themselves. How can we preach the importance of education, but in the same breath doubt their ability to do so?

As a mother of a child who is delayed in his speech and language skills this scares me. The possibility of my son’s future in the hands of a teacher who doubts his ability to do or be something truly saddens me. We have to remember that students are people first and they are someone’s child, so let’s treat them like that.

College Bound:  ANYONE who intends to go to college because they want to or believe they can...despite the doubters around them. 


"My mother said I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and more intelligent than college professors."--Maya Angelou



Happy Blogging, Ms. Manns