Schools are educational institutions where students learn the skills they need to live. They also help them gain a better understanding of the world around them.
Even though students might sometimes wonder what the point of learning something like the Pythagorean theorem is—they should remember that it prepares their brain to focus and analyze. That skill can help them in the future, no matter what career they choose.
They Help Students Learn
When students are taught how to learn they can take this skill with them wherever they go in life. This is what education is really all about.
Einstein said that the purpose of school is to educate a student to be a free individual and a part of society (Haselhurst, 2007). In traditional schools this happens through academic classes like math, science, history, etc. Students are also surrounded by hundreds of people their own age, which helps them learn to interact with others and communicate. This will be useful no matter what they decide to do in the future, and it is one of the main reasons why schools are important (Haselhurst, 2007).
The students surveyed in this study were asked how their school helped them learn. Their responses grouped into several categories: Students felt their teachers cared about them and their feelings, students felt they were challenged at the right level in their classes, and students viewed their school as a safe place.
Students felt their classrooms were calm and a place of serious learning. They enjoyed their teachers and classmates. In addition, many students saw their school as a community where everyone was working together to achieve a common goal. This feeling of community is a positive part of learning, and it should be nurtured as much as possible.
Some students felt their teachers helped them to learn by encouraging them to follow their own interests. They did this by providing them with projects and assignments that allowed them to explore things they were naturally curious about and interested in. Students also received feedback on their work in need-satisfying ways, which gave them encouragement and helped them improve their work.
Students in this study also cited their grades as another way their school helped them learn. This was not surprising, as they are often pressured to get good grades and told that their lives will be miserable if they do not receive high marks on their tests and papers. The pressure to receive a certain grade can create a vicious cycle of worrying about where their letter grades stand, which is not the best way to learn.
They Help Students Build Community
A sense of belonging is crucial to students’ educational success. When students feel accepted and valued by their peers, teachers, and administrators and consider themselves an important part of their academic community, they are more engaged with their studies. This engagement increases student retention, promotes optimism among teachers, and boosts attendance rates.
Schools are a natural center of community activity and are designed to be inviting, safe places where people of all ages come together to access education, health services, and culture. But too often schools focus on academic achievement alone without addressing the social and emotional needs of their communities. School community building programs can help shift the emphasis from academic achievement to a more holistic approach to schooling.
When schools make community engagement a central tenet of their mission and culture, they provide a wide range of services to meet the needs of their students and families. These services can include food and clothing pantries, healthcare, social work, mental health, and more. These programs can mitigate the effects of adversity—which produces toxic stress and inhibits learning—by providing critical support to students and their families.
Moreover, when schools cultivate supportive relationships among students and their families, they build trust and empathy and foster a positive school culture that enables students to open up about their personal experiences and struggles. This helps build a strong foundation for learning, especially for those living in poverty, housing and food insecurity, or experiencing abuse or neglect.
Creating a school culture that prioritizes community involvement requires thoughtful planning and leadership. Administrators must set the tone and define the community culture and support efforts of staff members to facilitate cultural activities. Similarly, parents play an enormous role in this work by stepping up to fill gaps and demonstrating that they value their children’s education. They can also help their children understand the importance of these activities by letting them know how much their schools and communities appreciate their participation.