A Place Called School Analysis

“The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.” –Maria Montessori
Although she may have had some radical ideas for her time, I feel that Maria Montessori touches upon a necessity of success in education, interest. In my own educational career, and now in my career as an educator, I have seen how interest can make all the difference in the effort and attention a child puts into their coursework. My purpose in applying to graduate school follows the principles of interest and passion. I worked in a field that I wasn’t enjoying or feeling fulfilled in, and each day was a marathon I struggled to push myself through. When contemplating a change, I looked back on things …show more content…
Through greater education students become more informed, well-rounded individuals who are better advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. Educational disparity is a key component in the continuity of socioeconomic separation, and by bridging the education gap, it would contribute to correcting some of the other systematic injustices that are perpetuated generation to generation in our country. Every student should be afforded the same opportunity to learn and gain the knowledge and skills to be the best versions of themselves. Having come from a unique educational background that emphasized self-determination, individual differences and how those differences can help you to succeed, I feel strongly in the power of self-motivated learning. The UCLA Teacher Education Program’s emphases in social justice, and the role education can play in helping to ameliorate social injustices, as well as the emphasis in valuing students assets and motivation to learn all align with my vision for how I hope to use my role as an educator to improve the lives of my students. I feel the UCLA Teacher Education Program will give me the best …show more content…
I opened this statement of purpose with a quote from Maria Montessori, a great woman who had a huge influence on my education. I attended a private Montessori School for Elementary. A single year of Middle School in the only middle school in the rural town I grew up in. Then did two years at the only public high school, before moving to London, England to attend a private International school. Having bounced between alternative private education, to public education, to an international private school, I have seen a great diversity in teaching methods, styles, as well as