Running head: EXEMPLARY ESSAY

EDUC 101 Exemplary Essay

Megan Ryan
Ferris State University

EXEMPLARY ESSAY
Humans are intelligent beings who are capable of learning from their environment. To be
considered a successful teacher, I have the responsibility of maintaining active learning among students
in a classroom setting. My own educational goal is to graduate college as a teaching professional who
is capable of inspiring successful students. The objective of this essay is to explore the purpose of
formal education and the role of the teacher from my own perspective.
I believe that my purpose as an educator will also be to build respectful relationships with my
students. In short, seeing them outside of the classroom gives you a reason why they act like they do
inside of the classroom.(Conklin, 2009, p. 590). I have witnessed the positive effects of investing in
relationships through examples set by my mother, who teaches primary education. She is frequently
requested for her ability to help low-achieving students reach or surpass grade-level standards. I have
heard her frustrations through private conversations. I understand that not every student will be likable
or teachable. An amiable quality that my mother possesses as a teacher is that she establishes an
unbiased belief in the success of her students. Each student is capable of improving themselves if they
are motivated with access to the right resources. If students are skilled in pursuing their education, than
they are capable of success regardless of the career path they choose. The purpose of formal education
begins from the view that public education has a broader purpose and social obligation, which is to
prepare an informed, active, and socially conscious citizenry (Taylor, 1997, p. 28).
The purpose of primary and secondary education is to create lifelong learners. Individual students
are unique in their goals, abilities, and motivation, yet the ability to learn is a universal necessity in
navigating the responsibilities of adulthood. In my opinion, it is most important that a student learns
how to think independently and formulate opinions based on fact while they are still in school.
Memorizing facts is not conducive to purposeful learning. I excelled in college coursework because
the structure appealed to my learning style in a way that my secondary school curriculum did not.

EXEMPLARY ESSAY
Grades are not a motivating force for most students. My experience in secondary education showed a
direct correlation between good grades and interest. The philosophy of Glasser addresses grades as
well.
Glasser says that in a quality school there are no bad grades. Low grades (Cs and Ds) are
really temporary difficulties that need to be solved between the teacher and the student. More
time and greater effort on the part of the student to master the curriculum area is the solution
(Uroff, 1991, p. 134).
A teacher must be adaptive to capture the interest of the individual student. Generational gaps between
the teacher and student will best be bridged by continuous adjustments to how subject matter is taught.
I observed that students in a particular history class were most engaged when the teacher facilitated
classroom discussions. The students learned from the opinions of their peers, and were also exposed to
the opinions of a teacher who was a professional on the subject.
When discussing how a student learns, it is also important to first address why a student learns.
Through education, the student seeks to satisfy their own needs. My primary education took place at a
charter school that modeled the teaching philosophies of William Glasser. According to Glassers
concept of control theory, All human behavior... is based on an individuals attempt to satisfy five
basic needs: survival, love, power, fun, and freedom. In this theory, motivation is internal and triggered
by the individuals attempt to satisfy these needs. (Uroff, p. 132). My first report cards contained
feedback regarding how I fulfilled each basic need in the classroom. From an early age, my instructors,
parents, and I understood that I was strongly motivated by my intrinsic need for belonging and
freedom. They served as motivating factors in my learning and as a result they have shaped my ideas
regarding the purpose of education. My role as a teacher will be to conduct a classroom that inspires an

EXEMPLARY ESSAY
interest in learning. Motivated learners have the desire to fulfill their basic needs, and education serves
as a platform to achieve those freedoms.

EXEMPLARY ESSAY
Works Cited

Conklin, H. G. (2009). Purposes, Practices, and Sites: A Comparative Case of Two Pathways Into
Middle School Teaching. American Educational Research Journal, 46(2), 463-500.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0002831208326558

Taylor, A. (1997). Education for Industrial and "Postindustrial" Purposes. Educational Policy,
11(1), 1-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904897011001001

Uroff, S. (1991). About books [Review of the book The quality school]. NASSP Bulletin,
132-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/019263659107553724

75(537),