Persuasive Essay On Going To School

Going to school is something that children do at a young age. The idea of school is ingrained into children at as early as six weeks of age in a daycare. As the child grows older they enter elementary school, middle school, and then high school. Within the schools there are students, administrative staff, nurses, volunteers, and of course teachers. Then questions are asked. What really is the purpose of school? How can a teacher gain student’s attention when they are thinking about things outside of school? How are the students different from one another? What determines between a good and bad teacher? How can character be successfully be integrated into schools? These are a few questions that were addressed in the book You Can’t Teach Through

However, Berkowitz did just that. In a perfect world school is somewhere that is fun, full of students and coworkers that get along with each other, and a place where children feel happy. On the other hand, students today are feeling the complete opposite. In today’s school students claim to feel as if they are prisoners not having a say in anything that takes place throughout the school day. Unfortunately as a student, I can see where the students are coming from and this perspective of school needs to make a turn for the better. I think that this is an important issue going on in the schools in America right now that needs to be addressed. If students are supposed to grow up and be independent individuals, then why are educators making all the choices for the students? Students are told where to sit in a classroom with assigning seating going through high school. I understand giving a seating chart to elementary students; however, students who are in high school and even middle school need to learn how to make choices. Teachers need to allow the students to sit where they want and if they are too distracted by friends the student needs to use their own judgment to change seats. This is how children are going to learn how to make choices on their own. In my opinion another aspect that needs to be stopped to create less of a prison setting and more of a learning environment is an idea that was also

In today’s schools I think the method of teaching character is not addressed appropriately. I do not believe the way that schools I have attended and observed are teaching character in a manner that will promote a lasting impact on the students. What I have experienced is exactly what Berkowitz says not to do when teaching character; posters, worksheets, and morning definitions by students of what character means to them. Practically in the high school I attended they painted a wall about character. The students are not going to change or learn how to show character by these methods. I think it is important for today’s teachers and future teachers to realize how to promote character to students so that the students can carry it with them their whole lives. Berkowitz suggests a few techniques to do when trying to create students with positive character. Some of the ideas include building stong heathy relationships and being a positive role model for students. My critique of Berkowitz’s work about character is that I fully agree with his thoughts. Being a student who graduated high school from a National School of Character I believe that the school systems do have the idea of how to create a school full of positive character is not being addressed appropriately. I hope that administration staff and educators within the school districts get a hold of Berkowitz’s work to enhance their character education