Instruction: the correct way to use a yardstick in education

     Say you have a yardstick in hand. What you do with it?

     See, the problem is, there are too many people with yardsticks. They try to measure our value in every subject- mathematics, language, and physical education- and they do not stop at just that. They measure whose talent is more valuable. It appears in every country’s education system. Like Ken Robinson said, every single country put mathematics and language arts at the highest level. Next is humanities, and the last place is always the arts. It even varies inside of arts, too; they put arts and music over drama and dancing. It seems that there is a manual notifying subjects’ significance from the highest to the lowest, same for all countries. They almost brainwash us to think studying math is more important than dancing. Why don’t they just value the kids’ talent for they are?

     What Ken Robinson said truly made me sympathize: “The whole purpose of public educations throughout the world is to produce university professors. “ I mean, it is TOTALLY RIGHT! Who succeeds, who does everything they should, who gets all the points, and who the winner is… Those are all factors of university professors, not ‘happy men.’ Aren’t there any other way to success? They put us all into same classroom, same curriculum, and same standard. They just cut the variety of our future down and line us all up in just one, like a factory. Why do they even teach us about artists, then? Mathematics is certainly not a feature of an artist; yet those good at math get to have a better chance of being a successful artist than those not.

     So I want to talk about that contradiction. Ken Robinson says hierarchy of subjects is based on the usefulness of the subjects for work. That is certainly a problem. But I have some other thoughts, too. The more grave trouble with this sentence is that we have already decided the subjects useful for work. In other words, the list of subjects most relevant to the least relevant has already formed in our minds. That is a very serious matter. As long as that list exists, our education system will not change. Slightly, maybe, but never fundamentally. It will never be enough for the ‘revolution in education’ Ken Robinson speaks of.

     By this point of the flaw, I think it is clear what is crucial to our educational revolution: innovation of our attitude. In other words, if we continue selecting fine artists, athletes, designers, etc. based on math and language, the students and educators have no choice but follow the trend. Of course, we should study for learning itself as well, but the world is not like that. People tend to follow the easiest, fastest path, not knowing it is the shortcut to unhappiness. I think this would take a long time to fix, so let’s start with changing the trend; the most urgent problem here is to guarantee a job for the people specialized in the career, not people with a famous university graduation, and give education appropriate for that. For example, France provides career training for those who has natural aptitude and interest in it since young. Well, there will be a few problems existing, such as change in mind or getting bored, but hey, don’t you think this is cool? It’s almost like getting to have a preview of what we are here for: from what we can get the internal satisfaction.

     What I want to say is this: let the kids enjoy things they learn, or, learn things they enjoy. All kids have talent; they all have the potential to be a ‘genius,’ only they missed the opportunity. Come on! If we really care for our society and its future, we must help the kids learn the future to be a happy one. Keep on telling them ‘You must study this if you want to get job!’ and they will not. We must encourage the kids to develop their talent and be happy with it. It is not an easy task, of course. There are tons of preceding tasks, works, and labor. However, I believe we are able to accomplish the educational revolution in any time. After all, education is something everyone has interest in; they know the significance of the stuff. We shall not use our little yardsticks to measure our kids hastily. Let them decide value for themselves.

What kind of writer am I?

     I like writing. Very. Both speaking and writing are a means of expression, but there is a big difference: that you can think long before writing. Since I am a girl of many mistakes, I would like myself to be cautious before saying anything. Also, there is something really attractive about good writing. Some books you want to possess forever and read over and over again. By that process, you get to be attached with someone at the other side of the Earth, or maybe someone who lived hundreds of years ago.

     So since young, I always carried a little notebook and scribbled down my thoughts, work to do, etc. I became pretty comfortable with that. As a result, friends were awed by my writing. I got awards for essays. Confident, I started to tell people, ‘My specialty is writing!’ But it was a mistake.

     Driven by the pressure that I should and can get more awards, my writing changed somewhat unnatural. People got uneasy when reading. I overestimated my ability and tried to create a ‘perfect essay.’ I think that was the problem. By feeble attempts towards perfect, my sentences kind of fell apart.

     I really want my class to improve my writing skills, especially on formality. In my past writings, I wanted to sound intelligent and formal so bad that it was somehow strange. I want to write a passage free of overflowing emotions.

     However, there is still one thing about writing I can brag about: description. With beautiful modifiers, proper metaphors and some help from the dictionary, I am glad to say I can make the reader feel like actually seeing- or touching, smelling, hearing, tasting- the object.

     About the writing I am proud about, I do have something! Harry Potter is my favorite novel. I read that series about a hundred times. All of the characters are beloved, but there is a special one. I love Severus Snape, the Potions and Defense of the Dark Arts professor of Harry. He loved Harry’s mother Lily and devoted himself for her ever since, even though Lily got killed years ago! I was so touched by his death that I came to think, ‘What would happen if those two met in heaven?’ So I started writing.

     Lily already has a husband, but it is too sad to think she cannot know Snape’s dear love for her and what he has done. I just want her to know and thank him. I think that would be enough for him, too. It is a pretty childish work, but I am still very proud of it. I have confidence I expressed his feelings closely. I want to write beautiful stories because I can show my impression by this kind of work. I wish sometime in future, I can be a writer who touches people's heart deeply.