I think education is a personal choice. My education is something I have earned and earned for me. I was fortunate enough to have excellent teachers and my teachers were exceptional. But as a youth, I was the target of bullying and other abuses. I grew up in a house with a lot of rules. I was told to get my way and I didn’t know any better. I have a long way to go in my education.
When I started college I felt like I had no choice but to put up with the abuse. But I can’t say I’ve been there yet. I’m about to start a new school. I’m going to be in class with kids who are a lot smarter than me. I don’t want to put them down.
I’m not suggesting that you should never talk about your schools or teachers. You should definitely ask questions and learn more. But when you feel you’re at a point where you’re being bullied or abused, you should do what you can to make yourself more aware of the situation. If you do that, you’ll get better. You can’t do this on autopilot.
I agree. You should do what you can, but also be aware. I feel like everyone has a role to play in this and the important thing is not to let it take you over.
I feel like a lot of teachers have this “you have to prove yourself.” I think this is a huge waste of time and energy. You just have to ask questions and listen. Most teachers are not well trained in empathy and awareness so they will just say something like, “If you ask me a question, I will answer you without thinking about it.” You have to ask the questions or talk to people who know you.
I’ve been working in education for twenty years and I have not had a single teacher come in and tell me that I was wrong for asking a question or questioning someone. That’s because they have never had to do that. One of the biggest complaints I’ve heard from teachers is that teachers have to know all the curriculum, have all the answers, and that’s why they should teach.
This is why students are often reluctant to ask questions. There are, of course, exceptions, but that’s usually when there is something they are interested in or have an answer to, and it’s really hard for them to turn down an answer. When a teacher is looking to answer a question, they will often either explain in great detail the answer or will even make it clear they want students to find their own answers.
Education is all about making people think (sometimes) and not simply teaching them something. The thing is that if you are the type of person who is passionate about your education, then you will do everything in your power to make sure you have the answers to your questions. That is to say, you will look for and find the answers to them. You are also likely to look for other answers for the same question and perhaps other questions that you haven’t even thought about.
Education, on the other hand, is a privilege. To the extent we can be called privileged, it is to a great extent because we are trained to believe that we are entitled to the answers that we seek. In other words, when we are asked a question, we have the right to answer it. Education is also a privilege. It is to be a valued member of society. We are taught from a young age that we are valued and important and worthy of our education.