Susan Carr

November 3, 2009

Where I want to go and why

Education is more than just teaching curriculum. It is about enriching the lives of

many people and helping people to the best of one’s ability. “If you suffer your people to

be ill-educated, and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for those

crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded, sire, but

that you first make thieves and then punish them (Ever After)?” This quote has been one

of my favorites ever since I watched the movie Ever After. That quote says so much in

just a few lines. I believe that is the first founding point of being an educator. That is to

provide education far beyond what is solely in the text. The school is a structured way

that the youth learn how to walk, talk, and act in society. The children that have problems

with this or who simply “cannot help themselves” are more so the students I want to work

with. That is why I changed my major from education to behavioral science.

Teaching should be about the passion and desire you have about your work and

you should also instill this passion in those who you are teaching. "The state of

knowledge exists. The will, the capacity and the methods are usually the problem (Rud

Turnbull)." Teachers have the power to change the lives of many children and can do so

by making learning fun and insightful. “In all my years of study, not one tutor ever

demonstrated the passion you have shown me in the last two days. You have more

conviction in one memory than I have... in my entire being (Ever After).” A person’s

enthusiasm and demeanor transpire quickly onto the people present. Teachers need to
love what they are doing because the first inclination that the teacher is unhappy or bored

will cause the student to react and feel similarly.

Most students start off with a pretty fair chance at life. Most students get up in

the morning, dress themselves, get on the bus, and have a good day at school. But another

vast part of students do not. Some were never given a fair chance from the first breath of

air they took in. Some students were given circumstances in their lives that completely

desolate them from society. They can not be “normal” but then again what is normal?

"'Normal' is a useful word for medicine and psychology, but otherwise it is too abstract.

When we decide what's 'normal' and what's 'not normal', it could be very dangerous

(Alexandre Jollien)." Students that I would get to work with in behavioral science are

often segregated by the word “normal”, are they or aren’t they. That is why my job would

be so important. It is to ensure that the word “normal” does not become a prejudice

towards children. Some of the most strong and will powered people are those who cannot

help themselves or those who were not given a fair chance at life. "What may look like

compassion to some people looks more like contempt to many of us with disabilities who

have too often heard that someone else thinks we would be better off dead (Diane

Coleman)." The fact is that we need more professionals, teachers, and specialists to help

better society and to help incorporate every color, shape, size, and creed no matter of a

disability or other life altering feature.

A major type of curriculum to be aware about is null. Null curriculum is a

curriculum that is not taught but observed over time and lack of incorporation. A quick

example would be fewer women are talked about in history there for women are less

important or different. That is the problem, people who have disabilities or handicaps are
often people who are not brought up or talked about. I can recall a whole lot more women

that accomplished things in history, but I don’t think I can recall learning about any

handicapped people in history (besides FDR and his polio). "This would be sending our

next generations the message that if you cannot cope with a different or difficult

situation, terminate the problem soon as possible (Elizabeth Derouin)." This generation

will not better itself if it does not better all those people in this world.

Another major issue I have that I hope to change is the word cannot. To tell

somebody they cannot do something is so striking and hurting. "Disability is natural. We

must stop believing that disabilities keep a person from doing something. Because that's

not true . . . Having a disability doesn't stop me from doing anything (Benjamin Snow)." I

want to influence and encourage students who believe they cannot do something. I want

to give students a chance to have self gratitude and love. "I want to prove that

handicapped people are not dumb or stupid, like some people think we are (Willis

Radabaugh)." I want to start more programs that help better the lives of people that

behavioral science would deal with. I want to be more hands on with the fundamentals of

life and how to help people be functioning members in society. I want to work with those

children who did not start life off at a fair race; “Strength does not come from winning.

Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardships and decide not to

surrender, that is strength (Arnold Schwarzenegger Roshan Hoover and Greg Sutton).”