After reading “The College Dropout Boom” I believe there are many different ways teachers can positively impact and influence students to attend a college or university. However it is important to consider area where the school is located, for some may be more difficult than others. For example, communities where blue collar jobs, such as mining, factories, etc. are dominant, students may be more resistant to the idea of attending higher education for a number of reasons. It is highly probable that their parents, and potentially even grandparents, have worked in such occupations for all of their lives. College tuition certainly isn’t cheap and the thought of paying to attend additional schooling may seem unnecessary or ridiculous in such areas. Graduates of high school may feel they already have met the requirements to get an “adequate” and life-supporting job. Andy Blevins faced all of these aspects in his life and made the decision not to attend college. However, as life progressed, he soon found that he was working 280 days a year and even despite this fact, was still just barely hanging on financially. If he was ever laid off or fired he would face difficult financial times, and would struggle to support his wife and son. How could have Andy’s teachers in high school impacted him in such a way to see the necessity of a college education, so he wouldn’t have had to “learn the hard way” by meeting it face to face?
First of all I think teachers need to show that going to a college or university opens students to new and exciting opportunities, ones they may have thought never existed. College exposes students to new people, places, and knowledge. It shows the possibilities of careers and jobs that exist in the world, as opposed to the limited number seen in their small towns and communities. Students who attend college are also given more insight about the world and have a better understanding of how to interact with people who differ from them. High school can incorporate this global knowledge into the classroom by studying literary works from other cultures, writing to pen pals who live in other countries, and discussing worldly issues and events. Interacting with other students through group projects and writing to pen pals will help them develop the people skills that are necessary to interact with others.
Although these new opportunities and interactions may be intimidating to students in their first or second semester, as it was for Andy Blevins, it is important to motivate students to stick with it for at least a full year and not give up. High school teachers can strengthen their students to be persistent and determined in their work by consistently challenging them to do their best. This could be done by praising their hard efforts but also telling them they can take it to the next step. Positive reinforcement is another effective tool that can be used to boost students’ morale.
By having students become more aware of the world around them, as opposed to confining them to their local town or state, they will in turn develop a curiosity and desire for discovery. When students see that the world is so much larger than where they currently live they may become excited to go out and see it, and colleges or universities are a great way to help foster this fascination.
Money is certainly a real and practical issue that high school teachers can overcome by showing students all of the grants and scholarships that are available either through the college or the high school itself. Another way to show students the value of college, despite its financial burden, is by the expected income of those who graduate college verses those who do not. Having a larger financial income could then turn into another incentive for students to attend and hopefully “stick with” college.
These are just a few ways we as high school teachers can help our students to see the value and benefits of attending a college or university after graduations.
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