A Lesson in Education

One school visit has possibly turned my future upside down.

On Thursday I visited Omaha South Magnet High School for my education class. Throughout the semester I have thought I would eventually teach in an elementary school, but my visit to this high school has me questioning this choice. Omaha South has a focus on the performing arts and information technology. While the students must take all of the required classes, they center their education on these areas. The students who attend this school, then, are motivated to be there and have a passion for much of what they are learning.

It was a ninth grade honors biology class that got me thinking about teaching in high school. The environment was relaxed, and the students seemed excited about what they were learning. Though none of them attends this school to learn biology, the teacher had helped make them enthusiastic about the subject. She also said that she encourages them to “take ownership of their education,” which helps make is relevant to them.

The relaxed atmosphere and the ability of the teacher to relate to the students really made me wonder if I could fit into this level of education. Would I be able to make it as a high school teacher? My focus would be English or journalism, so the atmosphere of my classroom would be somewhat different from that of a biology room, and not all of the students would be like those at Omaha South; I could not even guarantee I would be in a magnet school (which I would love). Perhaps the most important thing I took away from this school visit, then, was that I really could picture myself teaching in this school. Now I just have to choose between children and teenagers.