High school is such a crucial experience in the lives of nearly every American. It is generally required by colleges, and it is a very valuable time in our lives to grow as individuals; the decisions students make during this time will affect them for the rest of his life. However, at this important moment in their lives, people do not seem to care if their high school is actually helping them in the ways they are meant to. On page seventy-six and seventy-seven, Sizer wrote in his essay “What High School Is” about eight goals that were laid out by a Californian high school, and mentioned how these goals for that certain high school were agreed upon by most Americans. I disagree. While some of the goals may seem to align with the goals of every
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Previously mentioned, a good number of goals fall short when it comes to the definition and specificity. Sizer even admits how “these goal statements beg for definition” (Sizer 78). One of the goals that come to mind is “Aesthetic Awareness” (Sizer 77). Two brief definitions I crafted are awareness for art and in its various forms and awareness of one’s physical self. It can be important for students to find beauty and peace in art whether it is in the form of music, visuals, or words. From personal experience, art has many benefits. During high school, it was music that kept awake for homework and took away my stress before exams. That explains why my school required students to take an art course that had to do with traditional art, art in the English language, art in technology, and art in sound. The other definition has to do more with how one takes care of himself physically. In society today, the way one presents himself can be very beneficial and on the opposite end, detrimental. This …show more content…
Teaching students to be culturally diverse is not possible and never will be for all high schools. Schools could teach students about different cultures, similar to what my school did, but they cannot force a school or student to be culturally diverse like the goal implies. Location and demographic are the major factors in cultural diversity. Many high schools, especially those in the south, do not have a diverse demographic. Therefore, this goal is not realistic because not every school is culturally diverse. For this goal to work, students need to be exposed to different cultures every day – not just learn about
Previously mentioned, a good number of goals fall short when it comes to the definition and specificity. Sizer even admits how “these goal statements beg for definition” (Sizer 78). One of the goals that come to mind is “Aesthetic Awareness” (Sizer 77). Two brief definitions I crafted are awareness for art and in its various forms and awareness of one’s physical self. It can be important for students to find beauty and peace in art whether it is in the form of music, visuals, or words. From personal experience, art has many benefits. During high school, it was music that kept awake for homework and took away my stress before exams. That explains why my school required students to take an art course that had to do with traditional art, art in the English language, art in technology, and art in sound. The other definition has to do more with how one takes care of himself physically. In society today, the way one presents himself can be very beneficial and on the opposite end, detrimental. This …show more content…
Teaching students to be culturally diverse is not possible and never will be for all high schools. Schools could teach students about different cultures, similar to what my school did, but they cannot force a school or student to be culturally diverse like the goal implies. Location and demographic are the major factors in cultural diversity. Many high schools, especially those in the south, do not have a diverse demographic. Therefore, this goal is not realistic because not every school is culturally diverse. For this goal to work, students need to be exposed to different cultures every day – not just learn about