Purpose of Schools

    The purpose of school especially elementary school is to educate, learn new skills, and be creative. Elementary school is the first time for many that you are away from your family and forced to make friends and try new things. The purpose of school is to educate, elementary is where we learn all of the basics we will use for the rest of our lives such as not to cheat, to always try your best, and learn to share. These things can be a big change for some students especially if they are only children. School is also a place to learn new skills such as how to color in the lines, memorizing the abc's and the colors, sharing, how to hold a pencil, and even discipline. School is also where a lot of students go to feel safe, where they might get their only meal for the day, and consistency.

    The marginalized students in schools are those who are questioning their identity and those who feel as if they don't fit in. Whatever their situation may be they are not feeling included with their classmates whether they are feeling different, coming from a different financial or cultural background, are having trouble making friends. These students might not need or want extra attention on them, some things we can do to help is make sure they are being included and not treated differently. But they are needing to be supported by the teacher, they need to know that the teacher will always be there to help them and that we are on their side. In the book "This Book Will Make You Kinder" they are talking about how empathy is expressed and how we can misinterpret empathy. The marginalized students need empathy, they need to know that they are not alone.


Rachel Fuggiti

Comments

  1. Olivia WalkerAugust 31, 2022 at 4:44 PM

    Hi Rache! I liked all that you had to say about the purpose of school. I specifically liked what you said about it giving students new skills. This often goes unnoticed. People think children go to school to learn about science, math, social studies, and ELA, but that's not true. School teaches students how to socialize, draw, be creative, imagine, experiment, and so much more! Something you mentioned that if very important is the big change for those just entering school. This is a big adjustment we need to help them with. I also liked what you said about teachers needing to be empathetic to marginalized students. We need to create an environment where they feel welcome and comfortable learning in. It is definitely important to support them as teachers, but as teachers, I think we should also help them to feel accepted by the other students. Do you think it would be possible to find a way to do that?

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    1. Rachel FuggitiSeptember 2, 2022 at 10:19 AM

      Hi Olivia, thank you for commenting your insight on my blog. I agree that people may think that the purpose of school is for people to learn the general science, math, social studies, and ELA when in reality it is so much more than that we are having to teach them the basics like you said socialize and be creative. I think especially if we are teaching the younger grades we will need to help the kids with the adjustment of coming to school and getting their own routine down. I think as teachers we need to be able to have all of our students feel included and connected with everyone.

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  2. Brianna ThorntonSeptember 2, 2022 at 4:55 PM

    Hey Rachel! I really enjoyed reading your blog post on the purpose of school! I agree with what you said about how some marginalized students may not want any extra help or attention in school but it is still important to ensure that they know the teacher is supporting them. How exactly would you go about making sure these students knew they could come to you for help? Do you think that reaching out to the parents/guardians of these students would help? I believe that creating a school community is so important, especially for parents. That way they can not only know what is going on in their child's school life, but they can also feel more connected to them and us as educators.

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    1. Rachel FuggitiSeptember 2, 2022 at 8:15 PM

      Hi Brianna, thank you for giving me your insight! I agree with you that even though the marginalized students may not want your help it is still our responsibility to give it to them because it is what they need. I feel like my attitude and how I will treat my students will hopefully be enough for them to feel safe and comfortable enough around me to come tell me stuff. I think that if I can't handle the issue or it is a bigger issue than I originally thought then I will probably have to contact the counselor or their guardians.

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