The expectation for school-age children in America is to spend 40 hours a week in a classroom, plus an additional number of hours every night on homework, studying, or other responsibilities. In addition to schoolwork, many students take on added pressures from sports teams to extracurricular clubs, to part-time jobs. 

Because of the fast-paced and high-stress lifestyle that many students embody, education has fallen to the lowest ranking in many of their priorities. Most students begin taking on such extracurricular responsibilities starting at the middle school level, and the responsibilities only pile on from there. 

While enrichment and involvement are often respected in child development, if the foundational block that encourages the individual drive for success has not been properly instilled and nourished, the child is more likely to become subject to the dangerous ideology of becoming burnt out. When students are stretched too thin, many resort to shutting down-which is often perceived as “laziness.” In other words, the under-encouraged student will likely fall into the ideal breeding ground for underachievement. 

I say this not because the student isn’t capable of succeeding, but because they are not properly stimulated in a way that they require to build the necessary skills. In many cases, the roots that nourish a blossoming student’s educational journey rely on one key principle: having a personal connection to the content. 

As a prospective English Teacher, I tend to focus on the ways my selected discipline can benefit the students I will encounter in my now quickly approaching career. At the forefront of my mind when developing accessible instruction, is the perspectives of my students.

There is an emergency need for teachers to claim responsibility of filling the cultural gap. As a white woman who speaks fluent English and is an American Citizen, I did not experience the societal battles and unjust treatment that many of my peers experienced who identify with a cultural or racial minority. Although I cannot literally relate to the students who I will encounter that feel their futures are limited by the color of their skin, I am adamant in the fact that I will never stop advocating for the rights of each student to experience an inclusive learning environment.

I’ve had the opportunity to observe a number of classes with an array of student identities during my pursuit of a teaching degree here at the University of North Alabama. Over the semesters that I have worked with the various students from unique backgrounds, I have noticed an increased disdain for reading and writing. The issue is not merely a regional theme, but rather a nationwide phenomena of many mid-level students testing in lower-elementary grade levels. In my opinion, this disinterest often stems from a lack of representation in many of the state-approved literature for academics. 

Is the disdain for literature a result of the online schooling received during the COVID-19 quarantine? Or perhaps because the instruction is not longer applicable to the unique perspectives of the modern day student? Maybe the students are experiencing this disconnect from their schooling as a result of numerous events? I do not stand here today claiming to know the ultimate solution. However, I am certain that one of the first steps to fixing a problem is raising awareness. 

As an aspiring English teacher and self-proclaimed bibliophile, I am certain that it is my responsibility to instill the same relationship with Literature in my students that I have developed. The only way to achieve this dream, is to ensure my students are being introduced to content that is applicable to their identities.

Education serves a major role in preparing students for the expectations of the modern society. In my opinion, teachers are responsible for nurturing and supporting their students, while also displaying an expert grasp of content knowledge. English educators specifically are responsible for instilling the highest values of grammar mastery, but also in the instruction of developing clear and coherent thoughts to be distributed on paper. 

Furthermore, in the current world of instant communication and constantly evolving technology, it has never been more important to master language.  It can be argued that as the years tack on to a student’s schooling, many learners lose the drive to continue giving their best effort to their educational success, focusing more so on survival rather than cognitive development (i.e. the popular term “Senioritis”). If a student lacks the necessary spark to pursue excellence, it becomes easier to fall through the cracks of the educational system. In addition to inspiring the students to pursue learning in their own paths, we must also decipher where the disconnect has come from in the first place. So who’s responsibility is it to take that first step? 

The idea that diversity and self-awareness should be intertwined with every interaction in the classroom is incredibly important when navigating the modern student. It is the responsibility of educators to wear various hats and conform their teaching strategies to the overall need of their students to ensure they are being adequately prepared to take on the professional world after education.

This leaves educators with the responsibility to our students to ensure their cultural and racial divides are destroyed by the hammer of education. There is an emergency need for teachers to claim responsibility of filling the cultural gap. As a white woman who speaks fluent English and is an American Citizen, I did not experience the societal battles and unjust treatment that many of my peers experienced who identify with a cultural or racial minority. 

Although I cannot literally relate to the students who I will encounter that feel their futures are limited by the color of their skin, I am adamant in the fact that I will never stop advocating for the rights of each student to experience an inclusive learning environment.