Changing Education

This week we discussed the topic on whether education requires change and any obstacles educators may face as changes occur. In my opinion education does require change. As education reflects the world around us which is constantly changing. Even when I compare the world from 3 years ago (even without taking the pandemic into consideration) and my education at the time to now big changes have been made. I know change can be scary for many as it is unknown and unfamiliar, but to me change also means the opportunity for improvement. Even if the improvement isn’t immediate it provides the chance to learn from what didn’t work or how to make something work even better.

I think the biggest obstacle for educators is simply fear of the unknown. As changes are brought in it can be very hard to adjust your way of thinking and develop new strategies to go with the new paths of education. Especially if the changes don’t occur smoothly right away that can be a very discouraging for educators trying to come to terms with the changes. I feel that this would be especially difficult for educators who have been working in the field for many years and are maybe approaching retirement, as they might not feel comfortable making big changes.

I find this exciting because changes in education will provide me as a future educator the chance to better help my students learn. Any changes made to education will be designed to improve teaching and learning conditions so in my opinion it will benefit both myself and my students. I do recognize there will be learning curves involved that could be challenging or frustrating. This is why as an educator it is so important to be open to collaboration and help from your peers and co-corkers. Education is definitely a collaborative career and not just with your fellow educators but also your students.