By Alec Lautanen
Editor-in-Chief
There is no question that the transition from high school to college education presents a completely different learning environment. Some students greet the new experience qualified and thrive, while others start classes woefully under-prepared and suffer.
The difference between these two outcomes derives directly from high school and the instruction students receive. While success depends mostly on intellect, if students go to colleges that match their mental skills, then the preparation and success of students lies entirely with teachers.
Teacher layoffs are always unfortunate, but this time they’ve made me really appreciate the great instructors I’ve had here at Mira Costa. Before, I saw the job of teachers as to teach solely the material in their discipline. Yes, that is the bare minimum and would be considered a full success if measured by the limited metrics we have (standardized test scores), but those who are passionate go far beyond that.
Too often students voice complaints about how subjects they are “forced” to learn about aren’t practical, real-world or relevant. A view that many fail to account for and a view that, once I saw, made me much more appreciative of the whole process is this: the primary goal of high school is not to teach you facts and figures about the classes you take, but rather, it is to teach you to learn.
People complain that the information taught in some classes is completely useless. Who cares what the formula for the volume of a cone is? Why does it matter what Hawthorne meant by his social critiques in “The Scarlet Letter?”
Alone, yes, as far as helping students contribute to society goes, these pieces of information are relatively useless for most of us. However, the process of deriving a formula or ascertaining what an author means serves a higher purpose. No one would argue that teaching students how to think conceptually or analyze text is a waste, which is exactly what teachers are doing. Unfortunately, current evaluations qualify teachers with quantitative test data, which can in no way truly indicate the merits of strong teachers.
Without a doubt, college is more career-oriented than high school, but this doesn’t mean these four years are a waste. Truly exceptional teachers master this and leave their students with the tools to succeed at whatever university they continue to and in their lives in general.
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