Week Four: The Fisch Bowl: Did You Know?

This movie was very interesting to me. Although I felt as if it was a really inspiring film, its contents bothered my spirit as a student and educator in the United states. Great Britain seems to be a very successful country in the field of education, which was a surprise to me. The film states that Great Britain has several important strengths that the United States lack. It is the richest country in the world, has the largest military system, a strong education system, the highest standard of living, it has a current world standard value, and it is the center world of business and finance. In the United States, there is a great concern in each one of these areas. We hear talk about how soldiers are sent to Iraq everyday, yet we lose more men in the war than any other country. Several Soldiers are sent there two or three times because of a lack of military support. Businesses and homes face foreclosures, government-funded programs are cut, School system staff are laid off, and there has been a major rise in gas prices and other things in the economy due to the demand for oil and a lack of currency. There is also more violence in the school systems due to overcrowding and a lack of motivation and purpose in our young people.
In 2006, there were only a total of 1.3 million college graduates in the United States, while in other countries such as India and China, the graduation rate was over 3 million. This bothers me a great deal as an educator. More businesses are beginning to require a higher education before any person may even be considered for a job opportunity. Yet the United States struggles with the drop-out rate in our countries. This raises the question of What can we do as educators to help with this weakness in our country? It may be a difficult task, but not an impossible one. This is why my passion to educate students is so deep. Whatever it takes to help students succeed in school, and motivation of a greater education is not a choice for me. It is a duty. We as educators should pull together to come up with a system that could help young people in every area of their education.
The U.S. Department of labor predicts that learners will not be very successful in the workplace. They actually believe that today's learner's will have up to 14 jobs before they become stable in the workforce. I feel as if we as educators, as well as parents, should begin to instill the importance of responsibility, commitment, pride, and dedication in our children's jobs and careers. We should try to teach these children and encourage them to become that successful worker. The best way to inspire is to lead by example. This is where the parents come in. The parents are the first and best teacher of their children. Parents are their to instill and inspire, while we try to help motivate, encourage, and reinforce what the children are already being taught. One thing I have learned over the course of my journey to success is that nobody is what statistics says they are going to be unless you become that person. What you make out of your life depends on you, and how important it is for you to be successful. Yes many of us have children young and we think that it is the end of the world, but it's not. Just remember one thing. If you don't have anything to give to yourself, then you won't have anything to give to your children!