It Takes a Village
By Nathan Fannon
Schools in the Village
Schools play an important role in the saying "it takes a village to raise a child". Kids spend 8 hours a day in school, and sometimes more if they are involved in extra curricular activities. If they get 8 hours of sleep at night, that means they are spending 8 hours and sometimes less at home. Over half of a kids day can be spent in and around his or her school so it is important to surround them with teachers who are positive role models. I often hear educators talking about their students and referring to them as "my kids", as if they were their parents. I believe teachers say this because they end up of feeling connected to their kids. Students and teachers spend so much time together, that it can end up being like a parent/child relationship.
Personal Experience
In high school, I played basketball. School lasted from 7:30-2:30. We would have practice after school and some days I wouldn't get home until around 6. On days we had games I would not get home until around 9. Most of my weeks were spent in my school, around the faculty. High school years are very important in growing as a person. The faculty of the school sees you everyday and interacts with you everyday. They can shape your beliefs and opinions. Spending 40+ hours a week with the school teachers and coaches certainly shaped me today. Parents are not able to look after their kids when they are in school, that is up to the faculty and staff. It is a team effort. Teachers have to be responsible enough to help kids grow, the parents have no choice but to trust the teachers to be successful in that area. I had teachers and coaches that were able to shape me in a positive way. Today, I still stay in touch with some of my coaches and look to them for advice in certain areas. If they were not able to teach me the things they did, I would be a different person today and probably would not continue my relationship with them.
Teachers In the Village
To me, being a teacher is not simply teaching Algebra or English. Part of a teachers role is to help kids grow. You are responsible for several students for 40+ hours a week. A lot of kids need teachers to teach more than just their subject; they need their teachers to teach them how to become successful young adults. Teachers have to be able to teach kids about responsibility, hard work, and other characteristics that make one successful in life. This is what makes the role of the teacher so important. You are not just educating young people in common core subjects, you play a role in raising and shaping the future. If an educator does not accept this role or take it seriously, that can negatively affect a young person. If a student has a poor home life and has teachers who are not enthusiastic about their roles as role models, then that student will have a hard time learning how to be successful. Teachers should be people of exemplary character, and be able to be that influential person to kids who really need guidance.