Category: Unit 2

I actually agree with what James Baldwin was saying throughout this passage because, as a current student he is right when he says that while American history is a larger world to cover, the current world is also a large world to cover and how it’s important too. What I think James Baldwin means when he says “the world is larger?” is that while schools teach us a lot about American history and how countries came to be, schools should also be teaching students things that will help them in the current world because that is just as important, maybe even more than learning about the past.

What I think the school system in America should have been teaching us as soon as we got to high school is money. I think that money is a topic that should have been touched up on more, and not the history of money or how money is made but how to use it in the world now or bills and bills are taken care of. I would have also liked if schools taught more about jobs, taxes, and things that we would be doing when we become independent, and I would have liked it to be full of classes apart from our everyday schedule instead of extra classes you would need to sign up for or an elective or clubs you would have to join after school. I think overall that people in the education system focus more on kids needing to know who our presidents are or what the periodic table is and forget to prepare us for “the world” that James Baldwin talks about.

 

I think what James Baldwin is portraying in the article, “A Talk to Teachers” is to encourage young students to expand their knowledge beyond the education system. He talks about this world being  dangerous and that we are currently living in a dangerous time period. James Baldwin gives us his perspective of what he thinks the entire purpose of education is.“Children, not yet aware that it is dangerous to look too deeply at anything, look at everything, look at each other, and draw their own conclusions”. When he says “The world is larger”  he is stating that you can go beyond the knowledge that this world provides  us. That there is so much more to learn than what students are taught. Students are taught to learn a limited amount and usually not beyond than that.  James Baldwin tells us otherwise, that those aren’t their only options. He says that there is so much more in this world other than what you are taught in this education system.

He wants young children to understand that if they have a curiosity to look into their pursuits and thait there is no limits to learning new things. Something that I was wish I was taught in school is anything related to finances, banks, bank accounts, loans, credit cards etc. I did learn the basics in highschool, I had a economics class but that didn’t really cover all of my concerns. I also wish i was taught on housing and renting. I feel like these things  are very important things to have an understanding of for when we are on our own in adult life. 

James Baldwin is telling us in the article to expand our knowledge beyond the school system and learn about the history of America but also learn about the history of the place you are living in. When he says the world is larger he is saying that you can go beyond the utilities that this world gave and learn how to go through life in America.

What I wish had been taught to me in school but wasn’t was finances. In the real world you have to learn about using credit and debt cards and how to do taxes every year. These are very crucial to learn as in a couple of years when you live by yourself you are going to have to do taxes and it is hard to pick up and learn on the spot. You also are going to need insurance such ass life, car, health, and home. As well as building a solid credit score which could start while in high school. It would be better that in high school they would have taught us that as well how mortgages. down payments, and insurance works. These topics would’ve been great to learn as in a couple of years buying a car or renting a apartment would be easier to get through if you have the prior knowledge you had in high school.