As one of my interviewees put it, Teaching at Central is a DREAM. I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to teach at a school with such a storied history, such incredible school pride and unparalleled opportunity for the students who are fortunate enough to attend. Arguably the academics are amongst the most exceptional in the city and more importantly, there is a shared expectation for students to continue onwards after graduation. In fact for the 2013- 2014 school year there was a 96% graduation rate and 88% of the students went on to higher education. Central students are remarkably diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, social economic status and interests. Students are given a plethora of academic and extra-curricular choices and are encouraged to take advantage of all the school has to offer. With all this, I am struggling to understand of how Central fits into David Labaree’s overall definition of public education. If the goal of public education is to provide students equal opportunities for upward mobility, than why is it that there are such monumental differences between the opportunities at Central and those of so many of the other public schools in Philadelphia? Yes, Central’s status as a magnet school inherently distinguishes it from other schools, however, there are other things that set it apart from other schools. Most notably, Central receives large sums of money from their powerful alumni base. Given this and many other factors, I have chosen to alter my definition of public education to include more room for school autonomy, individuality and culture. Parents are proud to send their children to Central and teachers are proud to teach Central students, and to me, that says it all. Labaree paints a grim picture of public education and Central certainly changes that picture for me. He poses the question “Why would we want our students to ramp up their mastery of the school curriculum if this might undermine the kind of education that has historically proven useful for both individual consumers and society as a whole?” I truly love that Central administration and teachers do not concern themselves with this. Instead, the administration and teachers at Central pride themselves on validating student’s identities by incorporating culturally relevant activities that attempt to break down the boundaries that exist between home and school life.
I know I am going to make a lot of mistakes, especially when I first begin teaching at Central, but I am still so excited. There are so many unanswered questions I have such as: Is the building going to be updated to accommodate the growing student body? Will Central begin to incorporate more technology into their classrooms? But, I really am not concerning myself with these questions at the moment because, honestly, I am so excited to have the opportunity to work in an atmosphere where learning is deemed to be "cool". I had the pleasure of being in the IB program as a high school student and I am so excited to have the opportunity to teach in a program where subjects are taught in an interdisciplinary way and where the learning is inquiry based and globally relevant. For me, my only reservations come from my lack of experience with the curriculum and instructional pedagogy. I know that the students I will be working with will be incredibly smart and that I will to need push myself so that I can create engaging lessons that will actually challenge them. I am confident that I will create a safe and open classroom where the students feel free to express themselves openly and honestly.
I know I am going to make a lot of mistakes, especially when I first begin teaching at Central, but I am still so excited. There are so many unanswered questions I have such as: Is the building going to be updated to accommodate the growing student body? Will Central begin to incorporate more technology into their classrooms? But, I really am not concerning myself with these questions at the moment because, honestly, I am so excited to have the opportunity to work in an atmosphere where learning is deemed to be "cool". I had the pleasure of being in the IB program as a high school student and I am so excited to have the opportunity to teach in a program where subjects are taught in an interdisciplinary way and where the learning is inquiry based and globally relevant. For me, my only reservations come from my lack of experience with the curriculum and instructional pedagogy. I know that the students I will be working with will be incredibly smart and that I will to need push myself so that I can create engaging lessons that will actually challenge them. I am confident that I will create a safe and open classroom where the students feel free to express themselves openly and honestly.
Like my 121 years old high school, Victoria Institution in Malaysia, Central is full of traditions and historical events. Its inescapable cultural practices, enforced within the school community itself and strengthened in influence as the year goes by, made the school unique from other public schools. These cultures play major roles in connecting the students, teachers, staffs and even parents together as a big affiliation. This is no mere public school where teachers teach and students learn. The dividing lines between students, teachers, parents, and school staffs are as invisible as they can get. Its richness in school culture forms the ultimate experience for the members of the community; everybody learns. The strong bond between everyone there through participation and support allows students to strive for a common goal – to prepare for college.
To me, this is the perfect school for me to teach. I am very excited to be part of this awesome community and more importantly become a member of the tradition. The students there seem to be absolutely amazing and tremendously enthusiastic in learning. My goal during my few months student teaching here is certainly to embrace the culture and work around it to shape my teaching. Similar to my high school, I strongly believe that if I respect the school culture enough I will be able to reach out to the students. It will be of my greatest joy to step into the school on the first day with a sense of nostalgia and realize that I am “home”.
Students at Central essentially come from all parts of the city and are of different types of background. Their incredible diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, and learning power; and the large classes are the kind of challenges I seek for. It will be remarkably tough for a first-timer like me to teach in front of a large number of students. I wonder if I will be able to establish strong relationships with all these students. Above all, will I be able to truly fulfill their needs to learn at their best?
To me, this is the perfect school for me to teach. I am very excited to be part of this awesome community and more importantly become a member of the tradition. The students there seem to be absolutely amazing and tremendously enthusiastic in learning. My goal during my few months student teaching here is certainly to embrace the culture and work around it to shape my teaching. Similar to my high school, I strongly believe that if I respect the school culture enough I will be able to reach out to the students. It will be of my greatest joy to step into the school on the first day with a sense of nostalgia and realize that I am “home”.
Students at Central essentially come from all parts of the city and are of different types of background. Their incredible diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, and learning power; and the large classes are the kind of challenges I seek for. It will be remarkably tough for a first-timer like me to teach in front of a large number of students. I wonder if I will be able to establish strong relationships with all these students. Above all, will I be able to truly fulfill their needs to learn at their best?
In 1838, Central High School began as a school for middle-class boys to learn the necessary skills required for social mobility in the expanding industrial economy. Today, it has become a symbol of what David Labaree points out as the inevitable tension between education as a public or a private good. Yes, Central High School is a public High school, but Central’s magnet status and its extensive admission requirements do not make it available to everyone. Students at Central High School receive access to some of the best faculty in the city of Philadelphia as well as extensive coursework and a competitive marketplace to collaborate with other high achieving peers. Not all students in Philadelphia have this privilege. Nevertheless, Central HS has an incredibly diverse student body, both racially and economically. Essentially, Central HS is a bit of a paradox. While its student body is diverse and allows the school to, according to its mission, “prepare students to contribute and thrive in a heterogeneous world,” its magnet status alienates others in the community and local neighborhood from this opportunity. It saves the best resources (teachers) for the best and brightest students. It excites me to work in a school with an incredibly diverse student body. I can’t wait to teach and learn alongside a group of students who are as interested in learning as I am. The opportunities for learning seem endless. In fact, I’m somewhat intimidated by the ability of these students. I know I will enter the class doubting if I’m truly qualified to work with them. Regardless of Central’s status as an anomaly in the school district of Philadelphia, the school still educates over 2,000 students who have the right to learn and be empowered to become “intellectual warriors” (Kincheloe). My job as a teacher is to challenge all students in my classroom, regardless of ability or privilege, and equip them with the skills needed and the voice to contribute to a democratic society. The most important thing I can do is get to know my new students and learn how to adapt my teaching to best fit their needs. I feel like I’ve been equipped with a historical perspective on the societal forces at work in the classroom and I’m excited to do my best to deconstruct cultural borders as well as equip students with a critical lens of examining our society. I’m interested to see how much Central’s diversity and inclusivity is natural or artificial. Due to my inexperience, I recognize that this will still be a learning process for me and I will certainly not be an expert after my time at Central. At the end of the day, you can only learn so much without experience. Central HS will hopefully give me an excellent first glimpse.