Income Inequality by Peter Becker

The world as we know it is constantly changing and evolving. When my grandparents were in high school they did not see the need for a higher education because they could find a well paying job that just required a high school diploma but that is not the case right now. “The share of jobs that require postsecondary education has doubled over the last 40 years, as jobs require more skills” (http://www.whitehouse.gov). Since jobs are requiring more and more knowledge and schooling, students need to be prepared to make that leap into a college or university after they graduate college. This may not be difficult for middle and upper class students because they have the funds available to them to prepare them to make that next step. But for low socio-economic families, it is tough for them to make the transition. “While half of all people from high-income families have a bachelor’s degree by age 25, just 1 in 10 people from low-income families do.” This just shows how unlikely it is for a student from a low-income family will have to get a bachelor’s degree. Since only 1 out of 10 students will receive their bachelor’s diploma by age 25, it is important as teachers to help prepare those students to go to college. Yes it may be difficult because teacher teaching in low-income areas may not have the same resources as teachers in high-income schools but that does not mean that those students are less important (students from low-income families). I think that the majority of teachers in those low0income areas are content with just getting the students to come to school. Yes, this is important but I think that they need to raise their expectations. Just expecting the students to go to school and attend class is not going to help them prepare for college and receive their bachelor’s degree. The teachers need to set high expectations for the students to reach because that is when they will be challenged as students and individuals which will only help them grow.  I know from experience that the teachers that expected much out of me got my best work but teachers who had lower expectations got much less of my effort. Yes it was annoying and frustrating at times taking courses where the teachers had high expectations but at the same time that is when I learned the most.  This is the mentality that I believe all teachers should have not just the teachers in high-income areas. When we as educators just expect the minimum amount of work we will get the students minimum amount of effort. But if we push them to go above and beyond the status quo, they will give their best effort in order to meet those expectations. Having these high expectations will have their own challenges because students may not see the benefit of trying their best and put up a wall of resistance. This is when we as educators need show the benefits of having those high expectations but more importantly, why we have those high expectations. Explaining to the students why you are doing what you are doing will only build trust and continuity between both sides. They will be more likely to respect and follow you when they know why you are expecting so much from them.  Going back to my personal experience, I gained more respect for the teachers that pushed me. I knew they were not doing it for their own satisfaction but rather to see me succeed. They wanted me to succeed and do well for myself, not them. This is exactly what needs to happen for all teachers. They need to make sure the students understand that you are pushing them because you not only want them to be better students but better people overall. Students can tell which teachers truly care about them and that is one difference that separates good teachers from great teachers.

The following statement made by the White House shows how important education is at all levels. “Academic achievement by 8th grade is one of the largest predictors of college readiness.” We as educators cannot just start preparing our students for college at the high school level but rather in middle school. In middle school the students are learning the fundamentals of work ethic and like I mentioned above, achieving high expectations. The earlier that we start pushing our students to become high achievers the better prepared they will be for high school, college, and life after they receive their degree. Pushing our students does not mean that we expect all of them to be A students or B students. Some students are excelling when they get C’s. This is where the teachers need to understand that all students are different and that they need to push students in different ways. Even though a student may only receive C’s does not mean that the teacher expects less from that student. That particular student may not be expected to pass their classes, so receiving C’s is a significant step in their growth as a student and person. This also goes for students who achieve higher because they may slack off and get B’s but is that really helping the student grow and succeed? I would strongly disagree, because they are not being challenged. They can coast by and pass all their classes without even trying. But where does that get them in life? They have not prepared themselves for when situation may arise that they need to actually apply themselves in order to cussed. This is where the student who only received C’s in their class can excel because they have learned what hard work and dedication is like. They know what it takes to succeed while the other student has little knowledge of what it takes to accomplish that difficult task. This is a good example of how all students are different and also shows that we need to challenge all our students to succeed and become the best person they can be. When we realize that what we are doing is more then just a job but preparing the future generations, I feel that we can make more of an impact on the lives of our students then we have in the past.

Life is full of obstacles and difficult situations, which is why we need to help prepare our students to face those obstacles. By just expecting the minimum we only can expect our students to put in minimal effort. But when we have high expectations we can expect our student’s best effort. We need to challenge our students to take control of their learning and their lives so they can grow as individuals. It does not matter their gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic level they all can achieve more then what they first expect. Let us challenge the status quo and push not only ourselves but also all the individuals around us to become the best they can be. Do not be content with being average.

Resources

The Executive Office of the President. (2014, January 1). Increasing College Opportunity for Low-Income Students. Retrieved November 16, 2014, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/white_house_report_on_increasing_college_opportunity_for_low-income_students.pdf