Social Studies has been an often overlooked and under taught subject. Students find Social Studies to be boring, repetitive and not relevant to their own lives. According to research done and documented by Mark C. Schug, children do not think Social Studies is valuable or an interesting part of the curriculum (Why Kids Don’t Like Social Studies, 1982). When students do not see a purpose in learning content from a subject, they will become unattached and unmotivated in the classroom. Students need educators to explain the relevance and importance of Social Studies, so they are able to understand and get the most out of their learning experience. I believe that Social Studies is relevant and important to everyone, and needs to be taught and learned …show more content…
Educators and future educators should teach Social Studies for the exact reason that the NCSS states in their definition of Social Studies, “to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.” (National Curriculum Standards, 1992). Educators should teach Social Studies to give students a deeper understanding of not only their own cultural background, but the backgrounds of their peers as well. According to a document titled “Why Teach History: The Views of American Historians”, we should teach Social Studies to: develop good citizenship, promote patriotism, prepare for life, and develop critical thinking skills (Why Teach History, 1970). By teaching Social Studies, students will better understand human behavior, be able to acknowledge and evaluate differing sides of issues, and will be ready to make informed decisions based on their own …show more content…
I am a good candidate for education in general because I love to see people succeed. There is a sense of accomplishment and pride that I feel when I am able to help someone understand a concept or master a skill. According to the article “What Makes a Good Teacher?” from the office of graduate studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “good teachers really want to be good teachers” (What Makes a Good Teacher, 1997). I think this mindset is incredibly important for any teacher candidate. Teachers that try their best each and every day to make better lessons, stronger connections with their students, and any attempt to help students succeed are good teachers. I am a good candidate for Social Studies teaching because I will not let my classroom fall into the boring class category. I will come up with creative, active lessons that engage my students, I will push my students to give their all and I will always help my students succeed. My students will leave my classroom not only having more historical knowledge, but also being stronger, involved citizens. The next document I found was from the Doctoral School of Pedagogical Sciences. In this document, there were a large amount of aspects that a good teacher should have. The one that I focused on being, “He must be adaptive in teaching students with different needs” (What Makes a Good Teacher, 2017). In my future Social Studies classroom, I will have a variety of
“High school students hate history.”(pg.12) Even though in the end, that is the class they have the easiest time passing. Studies have showed that the more history classes that students take the less that they learn. They become “more stupid” about history.(pg.12) “African American, Native American, and Latino stu...
Loewen’s idea that history textbooks are to blame is true. “Moreover, the processes have changed over time, for the class structure in America today is not the same as it was in 1890, let alone in colonial America. Yet in Land of Promise, for example, social class goes unmentioned after 1670” (Loewen 205). It is not possible to teach someone to be passionate about the issues that affect them, if they do not learn all of the facts. Kozol’s idea of “cutting class size and constructing new school buildings or providing universal preschool” (Kozol 414) are great ideas. However, Kozol’s ideas only address a part of the
As Malcolm Gladwell expresses, America must be critical and selective when hiring teachers. By hiring a seemingly good candidate, it is inconclusive if he or she will fit the standards of an adequate teacher. In Gladwell’s article, “Most Likely To Succeed,” he reiterates which traits and actions an advanced teacher should employ, compared to a below average teacher. A candidate may fit the job requirements, but may lack an important skill once they are hired, such as using effective communication skills to teach students in a positive manner. Even if a student is bright enough to do well in a class, they may not reach their full potential due to being taught by a poor teacher. Evidently, this is an inconvenience to students and creates an
As I read these articles, I agreed with almost everything that was said. The Great Teacher Question: Beyond Competencies, by Edward R. Ducharme begins with a sentence that basically sums up my reason for teaching, “I begin this essay by defining a great teacher as one who influences others in positive ways so that their lives are forever altered” (Ducharme, 1991 p. 2). Over the course of a student’s education they will have many teachers, but there are maybe only one or two who are THE teacher. The teacher who impacts this child’s life in a positive way forever. The rest of the articles follow this same theme, suggesting ways that teachers can become THE teacher. One of the most important qualities I found in these articles (and one I
...roughout the session. “Good teachers are not born, nor are they made by tutors. They make themselves. Whats more, anyone can teach well. Research shows that there is no personality type that makes a good teacher. Whether you are a shy introvert or an enthusiastic extrovert, you can teach effectively, but only if you know how to learn from your mistakes and your successes”. (Petty 2009 pg.516 2009)
The most important social studies that permeate most aspects of life for every human being I think are the culture of people and the environment we live in.
The inability of Social Studies Instruction to make an impact in the society have been blamed on teaching methods that stress the Cognitive domain or recall of knowledge to the neglect of the affective objectives. This point has been buttressed by the Nigerian Institute of teachers as a reason for the failure of social studies to effect changes in the society. The NTI (2006), is of the opinion that, the youths are rich in knowledge of social studies and facts but deficient in expected social values, attitudes and behaviors that commensurate the subject taught and learnt in the classroom.
History is very important for everyone, and everyone should learn about history. Learning History can help to learn about people situation and life from the past. It also helps to know about many events and even some fact from the past. When people want to learn history, they should search about any subject or event from the past and tries to learn the both side of the subject. They also need to try to find what is hidden from that subject, so they can learn more about it. They also need to find out who wrote the subject that they learn about, for not all the historian show the bad side of the event, and they just show the good side. When people know they both side the can have a good judgment about the event. For example, before taking the
As a Social Reconstructionist the teacher chooses his or her way of teaching with their students in mind. The role of the teacher is to create information and challenging lessons that will open their student’s eyes to social inequities. School is the ideal place to educate students on global problems; Such as: racism, sexism, global warming, homelessness, etc. Primary task of the teacher is to present daring lessons that will demand emotional responses from students, making them what to do something about it. For example, if a school is state funded it must teach the US constitution on Constitution day; how the lesson is taught is up to the teacher.
Successful social studies teachers are always looking at ways to improve their current knowledge and keep up with improved pedagogical developments. A successful social studies teachers will incorporate things relevant to their inquiry throughout the lessons to help the students understand concepts and not just add them all on at the end to confuse the students. If you are a successful social studies teacher you will use a range of different approaches to teaching students for example you wouldn’t just do all practical lessons or all writing lessons they will mix it up and have a bit of everything in there . To be a successful social studies teacher you can’t be closed mined you need to be open minded to be able to put away personal views and give students a fair chance to make up their own mind about the way they feel about issues or topics. They need to be able to show all points not just the things they think are relevant or
As we reminisce and reflect back either on our childhood or academic career, we tend to have that one teacher who was memorable to us in some way - for their sense of humor, their stellar personality, or perhaps having that charisma and charm no other teacher had to make a difficult subject and it 's concepts fun to learn. While knowledge is power, I firmly believe that it is rather the exchange and distribution of knowledge that is power. When one can educate the masses there is no doubt that together we can accomplish great things. Becoming a teacher would mean the opportunity to be able to witness the shaping and molding of the minds of the future generations and the satisfaction knowing that you have helped your students set themselves onto the right path and provide guidance towards the creation of a better tomorrow. Choosing to become a teacher will allow me not only to educate my students, but also educate myself to be a better teacher throughout my career. I believe it is a function of human nature to want to change the world for the better. In adulthood, I have learned that the improvement of the welfare of the world must begin with
There have been many factors that have inspired me to this career choice. Watching my teachers, both past and present, has inspired me to become a teacher. I have a genuine interest in lifelong learning and as such I have the desire to not only instil knowledge and values to others, but also encourage them to share my passion for learning. Social Justice and leadership roles at school, along with my extra-curricular involvement with Cowra Youth Council, have highlighted my ability to work with and for the benefit of young people. In essence I know that my abilities and aspirations will make me a good teacher.
we ever studied was the Civil War, World War I, and World War II and
It is important to study history because it teaches us about not only our own culture but about cultures all around the world. Learning about other cultures and how they look a the world and what their opinion on certain things are , helps us learn better ways of avoiding conflicts. History is just a way of getting us to understand human life and helping us embrace new ways of making a healthier lifestyle. Studying history is very important to all of our society because it answers every question. History is everywhere so why not learn about
When most people think about history they remember a boring class they took in school a long time ago, they recall memorizing important dates, taking map tests, and falling asleep while listening to a lecture. The truth is that history really is an important subject to be teaching students. History is more than just some lecture you receive in class, history lets us look back, see the good things and the bad things, it allows us to learn from our mistakes and prevent such mistakes from happening in the future. Things that happened in the past are still changing things that are happening today. History is needed for everyone, from government leaders down to individuals; everyone has learned one thing or another from history at some point in their life.