SoundOut’s basics of schools cover school systems, learning, teaching, leadership, curriculum, testing, extra-curricular activities and school climate. The following sections share details and more info on each.
Basics of School Systems
- Schools are places where learning can happen.
- Public schools are funded by taxpayers and operated by the government in order to ensure an educated population.
Basics of Learning
- Learning is an act of acquiring knowledge and skills, either on purpose or by accident.
- Everyone can constantly learn all of the time, no matter what their age, race, gender or amount of intelligence.
Basics of Teaching
- Teaching is the act of actively fostering learning. It can be done as a teacher, through facilitating, as a coach, parent or friend.
- Anyone can teach things to other people, no matter what their age is. A teacher is hired to teach things for a job; students can be teachers too.
Basics of School Leadership
- Leadership is the act of using control to achieve goals.
- Every single person is a leader, whether or not another person calls them that or not. You lead your own life, and you influence others to do what you want them to.
Basics of Curriculum
- The curriculum is made of books, websites, teaching styles and activities, as well as the unseen curriculum, including attitudes, discrimination, and the culture of schools.
- Curriculum is sometimes mandated by school boards and state education agencies, and sometimes chosen directly by individual teachers.
Basics of Testing
- Testing, including assessments, is supposed to be used to determine how well students remember and understand specific subjects. Some testing is required, some is not.
- There are many other ways to determine how well a student is learning a subject, including portfolios, self-evaluations and other tools.
Basics of Extra-Curricular Activities
- Any activity happening outside the regular classroom still in school is an extracurricular activity, including sports, clubs, honor society and more.
- Extracurriculars were originally intended for every student to find something to attach to throughout the school day; not specific students to excel further throughout the day.
Basics of School Climate
- School climate, including introduction, negotiation, conflict, resolution and performance, was an original purpose for schools and is often cited as a need for their continued existence.
- Every single person in a school is part of that school community, and because of that student voice is only as strong as the quietest voice in schools.
You Might Like…
- Understanding Schools
- Roles for Students throughout the Education System
- SoundOut Student Engagement Rubric
- Systemic Responses
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