Growing up in the Caribbean island of Dominica, a country with an area of circa 750 sq km and a population of approximately 70,000, the ideas of rural versus urban were never really clearly defined. The general idea was that the capital city or Roseau and to a certain extent, the second largest city Portsmouth were considered the urban areas while everywhere else was considered rural. Looking at the two sets of areas, the main parameters in which clearly observable differences could be seen include, the tall buildings (tallest being the government headquarters which is 5 stories high) in the capital city, a higher population density and more commercial activity in the two cities.
As far as acquiring an education was concerned, everyone wanted to “go to school in town” since “town school” was considered the best and most successful, prestigious and most desirable. The students from the schools in the capital city of Roseau (The Convent High, the Grammar and the Academy) always topped the final external exams. Students attending these schools in the city were always well behaved and envied by those attending schools in other parts of the island. We were of the opinion that in addition to having the best and top performing students, the best teachers were also recruited by the town schools. The urban areas were also perceived by many to be void of school violence or other social ills such as drug abuse and promiscuity.
Conversely, in the rural areas, the students who attended those schools were the ones who were not expected to excel. These were the ones who supposedly (and actually) came from broken homes and were considered trouble makers. It was believed that the teachers at those schools were below par when compared to the teachers of the urban areas or town schools. The drop out rate in these schools was much higher than those in the cities, be it perceived or real. The students attending these schools were plagued with social factors and conditions which seemed to gravely affect their performance. Teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, poverty, sexual and physical abuse from guardians are just a few of the much publicized issues faced by students in the rural areas.
If I were to base my perception about urban centers, schools, teachers and students purely on my experience as a student attending a school in a rural area in my island home, I would probably be at the end of this monologue. However, have had the opportunity to reside and attend school in Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States, my experience in these countries has informed and assisted in my developing a better, more diverse view on the issue of urban schools. I have come to a realization that there is a stark contrast in urban schools in my island of Dominica and other more industrialized countries. While stereotypes are rampant and can sometimes be misleading, more often than not, urban schools in the US and UK are associated with gang violence, overcrowded classrooms, bureaucratic red tape, poor performance, standardized tests and under-funded institutions. The teachers, while trained in content delivery are sometimes lacking in all the skills needed to adequately deal with students who come to class hungry, frustrated and unmotivated. The school environment can sometimes be a contributing factor to the overall problem since some schools are established in previously healthy neighborhoods which have become defunct, broken, violent, crime and drug infested.
The aforementioned synopsis tends to presents a bleak outlook of the situational analysis of urban schools on a whole but while I understand that students can sometimes be the product of their collective environment, I also subscribe to the adage that goes “whatever the mind of man perceives, it can achieve”. Students, given the right support and assistance can excel academically and otherwise irrespective of the circumstances surrounding their upbringing. I have learnt that being a teacher does not just involve dissemination of information as contained or described in the curriculum but also playing a supportive role in the life of one’s students. As such, teachers must also seek to work with each other and share experiences in dealing with problems which may arise at their institution. One teacher might be better able to deal with rowdy or dysfunctional students while another might have a keen sense of identifying students who are more “hands on” than academic. I have learnt that students sometimes want their teacher to listen to them before attempting to teach them and that a student who is hungry and stressed will find it very difficult to learn in class – no matter how exciting and interesting the teacher tries to make the class. As such it is my intention to continue to be a role model and “father figure” to my students, seek to make a difference by promoting a sense of calm, belonging and purpose in the classroom. I also believe students learn best when they are comfortable with the teaching environment or where a variety of teaching aids are employed. I intend to strive to create that enabling environment which makes students comfortable enough to speak about external problems that may impact upon their ability to learn in the classroom. While subject matter intake by the student is critical in the duties of a teacher, I have learnt that as teachers, we are also responsible for the overall development of the students who are entrusted to us for the few hours each day.
It is expected that this course will help further shape or form my beliefs about the level of ease / difficulty associated with making a positive contribution to the public school system in the Newark (urban) area. Most importantly, what can an individual teacher do to contribute to a change in perception about urban centers or schools?
As far as acquiring an education was concerned, everyone wanted to “go to school in town” since “town school” was considered the best and most successful, prestigious and most desirable. The students from the schools in the capital city of Roseau (The Convent High, the Grammar and the Academy) always topped the final external exams. Students attending these schools in the city were always well behaved and envied by those attending schools in other parts of the island. We were of the opinion that in addition to having the best and top performing students, the best teachers were also recruited by the town schools. The urban areas were also perceived by many to be void of school violence or other social ills such as drug abuse and promiscuity.
Conversely, in the rural areas, the students who attended those schools were the ones who were not expected to excel. These were the ones who supposedly (and actually) came from broken homes and were considered trouble makers. It was believed that the teachers at those schools were below par when compared to the teachers of the urban areas or town schools. The drop out rate in these schools was much higher than those in the cities, be it perceived or real. The students attending these schools were plagued with social factors and conditions which seemed to gravely affect their performance. Teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, poverty, sexual and physical abuse from guardians are just a few of the much publicized issues faced by students in the rural areas.
If I were to base my perception about urban centers, schools, teachers and students purely on my experience as a student attending a school in a rural area in my island home, I would probably be at the end of this monologue. However, have had the opportunity to reside and attend school in Trinidad and Tobago, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States, my experience in these countries has informed and assisted in my developing a better, more diverse view on the issue of urban schools. I have come to a realization that there is a stark contrast in urban schools in my island of Dominica and other more industrialized countries. While stereotypes are rampant and can sometimes be misleading, more often than not, urban schools in the US and UK are associated with gang violence, overcrowded classrooms, bureaucratic red tape, poor performance, standardized tests and under-funded institutions. The teachers, while trained in content delivery are sometimes lacking in all the skills needed to adequately deal with students who come to class hungry, frustrated and unmotivated. The school environment can sometimes be a contributing factor to the overall problem since some schools are established in previously healthy neighborhoods which have become defunct, broken, violent, crime and drug infested.
The aforementioned synopsis tends to presents a bleak outlook of the situational analysis of urban schools on a whole but while I understand that students can sometimes be the product of their collective environment, I also subscribe to the adage that goes “whatever the mind of man perceives, it can achieve”. Students, given the right support and assistance can excel academically and otherwise irrespective of the circumstances surrounding their upbringing. I have learnt that being a teacher does not just involve dissemination of information as contained or described in the curriculum but also playing a supportive role in the life of one’s students. As such, teachers must also seek to work with each other and share experiences in dealing with problems which may arise at their institution. One teacher might be better able to deal with rowdy or dysfunctional students while another might have a keen sense of identifying students who are more “hands on” than academic. I have learnt that students sometimes want their teacher to listen to them before attempting to teach them and that a student who is hungry and stressed will find it very difficult to learn in class – no matter how exciting and interesting the teacher tries to make the class. As such it is my intention to continue to be a role model and “father figure” to my students, seek to make a difference by promoting a sense of calm, belonging and purpose in the classroom. I also believe students learn best when they are comfortable with the teaching environment or where a variety of teaching aids are employed. I intend to strive to create that enabling environment which makes students comfortable enough to speak about external problems that may impact upon their ability to learn in the classroom. While subject matter intake by the student is critical in the duties of a teacher, I have learnt that as teachers, we are also responsible for the overall development of the students who are entrusted to us for the few hours each day.
It is expected that this course will help further shape or form my beliefs about the level of ease / difficulty associated with making a positive contribution to the public school system in the Newark (urban) area. Most importantly, what can an individual teacher do to contribute to a change in perception about urban centers or schools?
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