Bad teaching is tearing America apart!

E.D. Hirsch who is 92 years old best known for his 1987 book, “Cultural Literacy: What every American needs to know.” Mr. Hirsch makes an argument that bad teachers are tearing America apart. Mr. Hirsch states that the current way teachers teach now where they allow students more freedom to learn at their own speed. According to Mr. Hirsch, an intellectual error has become a threat to the well-being of the nation. Mr. Hirsch states that how the educational system is tearing America apart and discusses what he believes will fix it. He uses the success of his Core Knowledge curriculum of some form. Mr. Hirsch also states “educators: simply haven’t faced up to their duty to provide a coherent sequence of knowledge to children.”

The shift of online teaching is showing the parents more of an inside view of their children’s learning. I think that while this technique offers a different type of issue with teaching, I do not agree with Mr. Hirsch's opinion that “Bad teaching is tearing America apart.” I believe that the new age of technology and instant answers change the way teachers must teach. I believe that walking around and catering to individual students is important. Some students do not understand the lectures where a teacher just stands in front of the class. This can be due to a lack of attention span with instant availability from today's technology.

I also believe that even though students have been able to succeed in Mr. Hirsch Core Knowledge schools, I think that kids that have more experience, learn a lot about life and don’t take failure so seriously. These experiences show children that failure is not the end of the world, you can gain knowledge by learning from your mistakes. I agree with Mr. Hirsh where he says that school is important in helping create an American ethnicity. I think that younger grades can be taught more ethnicity history at that younger age so they can evolve into better citizens. This includes a history of all backgrounds such as Native Americans, African Americans, Latin Americans, and European Americans. I believe this is important to help build a better America. We see people learning other ethnical histories through social media during the recent protests and riots.

In conclusion, I do agree with Mr. Hirsch, where he states that no matter the circumstances, “kids delight in learning things.” I believe that all kids learn differently and at different speeds. I see it in college that some students do not understand a teacher’s way of teaching and then they get a tutor who teaches them a little differently and they understand the subject better. I think that teachers should try to find ways to educate the students in the best way possible. The issue is that the learning criteria needs to be changed. Kids these days have access to more ways to find the information they just need to be motivated. During this pandemic, we have seen the way kids are influenced by social media and are more adapt to social change. I believe that teaching needs to evolve along with everything else.