Every time I am brought to heightened emotions, whether tears, anger, frustration, elation, I feel compelled to write about the cause of these emotions. Today, it's tears.
I am in the midst of reading through my students' Path to Success papers in my First Year Experience courses. Some of them are truly making me emotional. I realize, through these narratives, that education needs to be a priority in the home. If parents don't accept the reality of how an education can lead their child to a more successful and secure life, then the student either doesn't prioritize it in their lives, and they meander wondering what type of job they can find in order to survive in life, or they fight for it--against all odds. I am reading through one student whose parents don't want her to go to college and don't feel that she is capable of getting a college degree. Additionally, they are not supporting her even though she is determined to succeed. She is working long hours and taking only 2 classes because she is fully on her own. She worries about debt at the end and wants to avoid it as much as possible, which is why she is only taking two classes. Her goal is to finish in eight years. This is only for an undergraduate degree. Another student shared that he desires to become a mechanical engineer and attend Texas A and M University. He also works long hours in order to pay for school and avoid debt. He describes if only his parents would contribute a little money for his school supplies (i.e. pencils and paper). He further elaborates on how these little things would help him reduce his work hours so that he could take more classes to finish earlier. After I read their essays, I left comments of encouragement so that they have at least one person they know who supports them and is rooting for them to finish! I also want to just provide basic needs for them, but I alone can't do this for all my students. They need so much support--from words of affirmation to basic supplies--so that they don't have to worry and that they can concentrate on their school work and make their education a priority. Students need to know that their education should come first, and it needs to start in the home. The other day I was talking with some friends about the state of US education. They were making snide comments about how "US education is not all that." They then began to list the top countries with the best education. I had to interject and share how these countries do not compare to ours because of the myriad understandings US households' view of education. There are significant number of homes that do not make education a priority; therefore, students will follow this mentality and not desire higher education or education period. Some of these other countries where the educational system are quite successful have more of a homogeneous understanding of education to where it is an absolute priority, and parents will break their backs in order for their children to succeed. These countries simply do not compare with the US. Therefore, some of the data collected do not account for these very drastic cultural differences, and this should be acknowledged. Does this mean US education can't succeed? Of course, we can! It needs to start in the home. Parents need to be educated about post-secondary opportunities for their children to be successful and thrive in our country--not just survive and live paycheck to paycheck. Parents need information sessions on career fields where certifications can be obtained rather than just bachelor's degrees. They need to know about compensation, health benefits, and the simple truth that being an educated citizen will help them make wiser choices in their lives. This can start in elementary school--not just in high school. Students need their parents, guardians and other adults in their lives to root for them--not to make them feel hopeless and alone. If it won't happen in the home, then it is all the more important for schools to advocate post-secondary education and the possibilities of greater success in life beyond a high school diploma. It is even more important for their teachers to believe in them--to root for them! We need to supply them with as much love and support--demands that we cannot ignore.
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AuthorProfessor of Education at Lone Star College-CyFair Archives
April 2017
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