Making a Difference: Mindful Social Change Blog post - Educational reform 1

By: Will Xander

Date: 04/18/2024

Introduction

Sociological mindfulness is essential for addressing and resolving critical social issues.

Many of these issues are complex and intertwined with emotions, past experiences, trauma, and

misunderstandings. The best way to approach and make progress on these issues is through

sociological mindfulness. I have chosen to focus on educational reform because of my personal

experiences. Growing up, I struggled in school because my learning style was different—not

better or worse, just different. Even a highly-rated school in a well-off area could not meet my

needs, which makes me concerned for children similar to me but in less advantaged

environments. I plan to understand educational reform using five sociological mindfulness tools:

listening, researching, writing, empathizing, and imagining. These tools will help me understand

and address the needs of diverse learners and advocate for necessary changes in education.

Section 1: Listening and empathizing

In this journey, I have discovered that actively listening is an effective method to

understand the challenges in education. Hearing directly from those who confront these issues

daily is crucial: teachers, parents, and students. Their firsthand experiences provide invaluable

insights. I engaged with their perspectives by watching a YouTube video titled Empty

Classrooms, Abandoned Kids: Inside The Great Teacher Resignation | NYT Opinion. This video

highlights the challenging situations teachers face with money and emotional stress. It shows

how the school system has worsened over the last few decades. A striking point is that nearly
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half of all teachers are considering quitting, and teachers are now earning 10% less than they did

10 to 20 years ago. The video also talks about how teachers are overloaded with different jobs.

For example, one teacher shared a time when she had to help several students who were thinking

about suicide, which eventually led her to leave the job. It is hard to blame her for quitting.

Another teacher explained how she has to do many jobs unrelated to teaching, like bus duties,

supervising lunch, and being a gym teacher. These extra tasks take her away from her main job:

teaching.

Section 2: Researching and writing

While researching the topic, I could write my thoughts in this blog post and a journal of

mine. Doing research by itself is not good enough. You need to be able to understand what you

are researching and why. I compare it to reading a book. Reading a book is excellent, but reading

and annotating a book is even better. This is why I like the idea of researching and writing

simultaneously. When conducting research, Schwalbe suggests following these steps: asking

answerable questions and defining key terms. Start with the already-known information and seek

assistance to discover more about it. Evaluate the existing knowledge, actively search for

contrary evidence and alternative explanations, and maintain a skeptical—but not

cynical—attitude. Consider the degrees of confidence in your findings, adopt a systematic

approach to your research, and scrutinize underlying assumptions. When I began my research

journey, I started by posing a straightforward question: Why are teachers paid so little despite

their crucial role? This question is essential because, as I reflected on this social issue, I realized

that higher salaries could significantly incentivize excellent teachers to join the educational

system. If the requirements to become a teacher were more stringent and the field more
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competitive, it might attract more dedicated individuals. To clarify, the issue in education is not a

lack of committed teachers; there are already many devoted educators. However, consider the

potential changes in the educational landscape if these teachers were paid six-figure salaries.

How might this impact the quality and enthusiasm of teaching? In a research paper called Here

Today, Gone Tomorrow? What America Must Do to Attract and Retain the Educators and School

Staff Our Students Need The American Federation of Teachers (2022), "The most successful

education systems in the world are able to recruit and retain qualified teachers because the

teaching profession is greatly valued by society; teachers are fairly compensated; the teaching

career is transparent and clearly structured; teachers are given many opportunities—and

encouragement—to learn; and they receive regular feedback on their teaching, such as through

mentoring programs organized by schools." Ensuring that teachers feel welcomed, valued, and

secure is crucial for the success of our education system.

Section 3: Imagining and Conclusion

The final tool of sociological mindfulness I am utilizing is imagination, which is pivotal

for educational reform. Throughout this project, my research, writing, listening, and empathizing

have led me to conclude that envisioning a brighter future is essential for taking meaningful steps

forward. Specifically, I aim to imagine a United States where educators are respected and

well-compensated. In this vision, students are enthusiastic about attending school and learning in

a way that suits them best. At the same time, parents feel confident and reassured by the quality

of education their children receive. This imagined scenario of a world-class education system

accessible to all is the foundational step toward actual reform. Without the capacity to envision

such a future, achieving it remains out of reach.

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This journey through sociological mindfulness tools has significantly deepened my

understanding of the educational system and its challenges. Each method, listening, researching,

writing, empathizing, and imagining provides unique insights that helped shape my perspective.

Listening to the direct experiences of teachers, students, and parents highlighted the immediate

issues and emotional strains within our schools. This informed my approach to research and

enriched my writing, giving a voice to the critical issues and personal stories that illustrate the

current educational landscape. Empathizing with the individuals on the front lines of education

has made me acutely aware of the sacrifices many educators make under challenging conditions.

This empathy has solidified my determination to push for reforms recognizing and rewarding

their essential contributions. Imagining a future where educators are respected and

well-compensated has helped outline what meaningful educational reform could look like. It is a

vision where education is a priority, learning is tailored to each student, and parents are assured

of their children's schooling quality. Achieving this vision is not only ideal but essential. By

sharing this blog post, I aim to inform and motivate action and reflection that leads to substantial

improvements. Let us work together to envision and create an educational system that truly

meets the needs of our diverse population.

References

American Federation of Teachers. (2022). Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?

What America Must Do to Attract and Retain the Educators and School Staff Our

Students Need. https://www.aft.org/