Do It Better
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. John Dewey is an American philosopher who learned how important education was just as Ben Carson did. It is really important to have an education because education is power. “Do It Better” by Ben Carson is one of those stories that we all can identify with because explains how education and specifically reading can change a child’s life. This story tells us how a child’s feelings are drastically affected when society underestimate them, the role of a mother in their education, and the satisfaction of a child when having accomplishments in school. I think this is a great story because it taught us a life lesson. Everyone should have an education because is the
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The role of Mrs. Carson in Bennie’s education was crucial for his success. A mother is the first person to guide a child to education. She is the one pushing us to always do better and sometimes they have to be severe with us so we can understand how important is to get an education. Mrs. Carson had only a third grade education and that made her noticed that Bennie was wasting too much time and not doing good in school. Mrs. Carson worked all day, but that did not matter for her. She wanted to be fully involved in her child’s progress in school. Because of that she decided to do something about and asked God for wisdom on what to do to help her sons. She took away Bennie and Curtis’ play time, limited Tv time, and demanded to read two books a week along with a book report. Mrs Carson said: “Don’t worry about everybody else. The whole world is full of everybody else you know that? But only a few can make a significant achievement”(605). A mother knows how to give a child the love, but also be stricted when is necessary. I could not be more agree with Mrs. Carson stance. Sometimes we as students are unable to understand our mother’s advices and demands. Instead, we call it punishments, but after all everything that mothers do is because they want us to to be successful in life. In all honesty, when I was in middle school my mom was always over me, asking for my grades, and giving me advices. I remember getting angry …show more content…
Bennie knew what satisfaction was when he achieved a goal. Life is all about achievements and is truly great when they happen unexpectedly. As Bennie was reading two books a week, he started to gain knowledge in different subjects, he learned about the different types of rocks, he actually became an expert at identifying rocks. Carson was so fascinated reading books that all the information became practical. One day in class the teacher asked for the name of a rock and he answered right. He said it was an Obsidian rock. Carson said: “They are all looking at me with admiration” (608). Carson was proud of himself because he was smart. This is my favorite part of the story. The way that he had his achievement in class was so realistic because that actually happen to us. He also did a great job including his thoughts because it gave me a better idea on how happy and surprised he was when he answered the question right. By way of example, when I was in high school I had a math class which was not necessarily my favorite and I always got F on the tests. I never put any effort, but I realized I could do better so I started to pay more attention in class, do my homework, and ask questions. Eventually, I was getting better grades and I got an A as my final grade. We all are smart and good to have achievements. The key is work hard and eventually we will see our
Some parents put their children up on a pedestal, and treat them as if they are the most prized creatures on the Earth. Parents think that they raise their children right, but Gottlieb makes a valid point when she states, “As a parent, I wanted to do things right. But what does ‘right’ mean?” I like how Gottlieb uses the story of the child tripping over a rock. When the kid falls, some parents would come to the rescue, and cuddle the child before they even start to cry. Even though they mean well, I feel like these parents are not even thinking of how a scenario as simple as this can affect their children later in life. This example reflects that even the overprotective and “good” parents end up having children that are lost and unhappy because they did not show any discipline and organization. Dan Kindlon, a children’s psychologist that Gottlieb mentioned, explained, “There’s a difference between being loved and being constantly monitored.” This made me think of a friend whom goes to West Georgia who I will call Ella. She grew up with the constant surveillance of her
It can be a crucial moment in parents effort to improve their child’s life. The effect of a parent can shape a child 's mind to benefit them or cause massive chaos. “We time as moving forward and hope that by our efforts this motion is toward improvement”(Our Secret 234). Neither Laura’s and Heinrich parents did that. Instead of that, they have done the opposite. Even though Laura did not suffer from the same problems as Heinrich. She had to deal with all the secret from her parents, cause some identity problems for her at that young of an age. It said that children start actually learning at a young age. They start to learn from their
The conversation my sister and I were having did not end with thoughts about David and his hardships in school. We discussed reasons children would tease other children for valuing schooling, and what the teasing says about parents' and culture's educational beliefs. My sister decided that she could not imagine any parents who would not want their child to get an education and, if they had the opportunity, to go to college. (Implied in this sentence is, of course, the assumption that every person has the opportunity to go get that "education.")
...hould serve as a guideline not only for teachers but also for parents. I also believe parents should be held accountable for their children’s successes. As with most government funded programs, in order to be eligible parents must meet a financial criteria to participate in head start, I believe there should also be a required class or number of classes that parents must also participate in if their child is in the head start program. This serves as a reinforcement for the child, and helps the parents become active in their child’s development in and outside of the classroom. Often children struggle because they don’t have access to constant support and education. I feel as though if parents know better they can do better, and because often these cycles tend to repeat themselves, I do feel as If educating parents is also a step towards ending the cycle of poverty.
Although our school system is in need of change, the film did not consider the part parental involvement plays in education, a drawback of the film. Education spending in our country has more than doubled in recent decades, but children in most states have proficiency rates of only 20 or 30 percent in math and reading (Weber 6). One must wonder if, with all of this extra spending and consistently low test scores, the problem goes beyond the school system and into American families. After all, even with small class sizes, the amount of one-on-one attention is limited for each student. Isn’t it up to parents to push their children to succeed? Amy Chua, author of the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother uses an almost militant form of parenting which – though highly controversial – demands nothing short of excellence from her children. While other children were allowed to ride their bikes or play video games with their friends, Chua demanded that her seven-year-old daughter practice t...
One of the important decisions Ben was faced with was in the tenth grade. He had to decide weather or not he wanted to continue on his downward spiral with school and friends or if he wanted to get his act together and become high in rank in his school’s ROTC program. After seeing his brother in his ROTC uniform Ben was certain he wanted to follow in Curtis’ footsteps. He knew he would have to work tremendously hard if he ever wanted to be named colonel as a student. Carson decided to put his best foot forward and forgot about being in the “it” crowd with the “right” clothes and focused on his ROTC goal. Ben was honored when Sgt. Bandy put him in charge of the most rambunctious class. His strategy for whipping the class into shape was getting to know them individually and then “structured the exercises accordingly (65).” Sgt Bandy was pleased to see that Ben turned the worst class into the best class of the unit in a matter of weeks. Ben was then promoted to second lieutenant. By the time he graduated Ben not only reached his goal and was ranked colonel, but he had been offered a full scholarship to West Point. A whole new decision in its own, Ben turned the scholarship down to pursue his dreams of being a doctor.
Education has always been in existence in one form or another. As each child is born into this world regardless of who or where they are born, life lessons immediately begin. He/she will learn to crawl, walk, and talk by the example and encouragement of others. Although these lessons are basic in the beginning they evolve as the child grows. However, the core learning method of a child does not change. Learning from others, they will watch, listen, and then act for themselves. Thomas Jefferson believed that an education would lead men and women to the ability to be self-governed and become positive contributors to society (Mondale & Patton, 2001). Today, we can see how true this is by the examples of others. Those that are given the opportunity for education are more likely to find jobs and develop skills that not only improve a community, but influence the economic growth of their nation (Ravitch, Cortese, West, Carmichael, Andere, & Munson, 2009, p. 13). On the other hand, if an education is not provided to individuals, they can become a hindrance to that nation’s growth.
Even our President Barack Obama has spoken about how important it is to make sure the children are being educated to their fullest. Learning the ability to think critically and problem-solve gives way towards national prosperity. Book, Higher Education. It is easy to see that there is a strong urge to get the best education you can receive for a reason. Education is and will always be an important factor in our society....
opinion, education is essential to have success in life. When the main goal of life is purely
Daisy lacks self confidence which made it harder to raise her fifteen year-old son Donny. There were many instances where Daisy pondered on what she can do better to help Donny in school, but as she put forth an effort, she always resisted. “She remembered when Amanda was born. Donny had acted lost and bewildered. Daisy had been alert to that of course, but still, a new baby keeps you busy of course….”(570) When Daisy saw this happening, she never stopped to reassure Donny that even though he had a sister, it was not going to change their relationship. Daisy should have reassured her son by correcting the problem as soon as it surfaced, then Donny should have understood. When Donny started to have problems in school, Daisy gave up without trying, and let a tutor dictate her son’s activities especially when the teacher questions Daisy about Donny’s actions, Daisy replied, “Oh I’m sorry, Miss Evans, but Donny’s tutor handles these things now…” (572) In school Donny’s behavior changed soo drastically that he started to stay out late and Daisy just sat back and let this happen. “The tutor had sat down so many rules![She] were not allowed any questions at all about school, nor were to speak with his teachers…,Only one teacher disobeyed…”(572) Because Daisy didn’t believe in herself or her word, she let others control and therefore his behavior worsened.
Through her recollection, she has paved a path for me to understand that one could judge, but a mother’s action speaks louder than what one might perceive her to be. When doctors told her one thing, Beth asked other professionals for their opinion of her daughter, knowing what her daughter was capable of. Melanie was able to perform and develop well because Beth pushed for her with all her power. With this in mind, an educator must not underestimate the parent’s knowledge of their own
She explains how her son was just pushed through school. “Our youngest, a world-class charmer, did litter to develop his intellectual talent but always got by” (559). He got through school by being a good kid, he was quiet and didn’t get in trouble. This was how he made it to his senior year until Mrs. Stifter’s English class. Her son sat in the back of the room talking to his friends; and when Mary told her to just move him “believing the embarrassment would get him to settle down” (559) Mrs. Stifter just told her “I don’t move seniors I flunk them” (559). This opened Mary’s eyes that her son would have to actually apply himself to pass. He wouldn’t be handed a passing grade. After the meeting with her son teacher, she told her son if you don’t try you will fail, making him actually apply himself. This made Mary understand that Failure is a form of positive teaching tool. Only because her son had to work for it and, now he actually came out of high school with a form of
I believe that the purpose of education is to produce the next generation of leaders who are intelligent and have great character. This idea is supported in the article “The Purpose of Education” by Martin Luther King. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist who fought for black and white people to have equal rights in America. He writes about the true purpose, and meaning of education in the article by saying, “Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction (MLK1).” This quote from the article explains that being academically educated is very important. It will help people stand up, be a leader, and take charge to make the world a better place for everyone. That gallant leader will argue against the fallacy, lies,
Finally, Holt believes the best thing for children is to eliminate school curriculum altogether. In my opinion, many schools have incorporated many of Holt’s solutions into their curriculum. However, Holt’s illustration of what he believes is a real student is in fact is biased, and often factually incorrect. He fails to see the importance of formal education and instead shames the system that helped lead him to get a degree at one of America’s finest universities. A formal education is a vital part of an independent society. When the people of a nation are well educated, they shape the ways to being
Equally important are the standard my mother has set for us she has taught us that if you set your goals high then it gives you something to reach for. She also believes that you can do anything you set your mind on. We never went to the schools in our district because my mother wanted to enhance our education. She would say that just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have just as good of an education as the well to do. She sent us to Catholic School for a few years till the expense got to be too much and then switched us to a good school in Chandler. We are not allowed to get a grade lower than a C if we do we lose something that is of importance to us, till we bring our grade ba...