Category: Unit 2

Reading “ a talk to teacher” we can tell James Baldwin really wants teachers to take their Job to another level not only teaching the children about American history but to teach them about the standards and how they are not permanent but they have power to change to change the world, they want them to teach children that they are their own person and they need to find within themselves that they can be bigger,he wants the children to understand that if they have a curiosity to look into it there is no stop or no limit to learning new things, he wants teachers to teach about the struggle and the bad about society. By saying “the world is larger” I think James Baldwin was trying to tell the readers there is more to what you learn. There is a wider field in learning outside of a person’s home school or any place he is trying to say the world is big and what you learn has way much more to it than you think. Something I wish was taught to me was in high school. I wish I had more knowledge on what to expect in my tradition from high school to college, like how do internships work, for the ones who don’t know what major to choose I wish we had a little more knowledge on fields we can work in before entering college so we can have an idea and not just jump into a major because of total interest and end up hating it.I wish the schools start teaching kids how to deal with a failure not only in the house but I feel like students are pressured to go through school with high grades and their mental health isn’t the biggest priority students are giving work after work after work and end up overworking themselves this also would lead into time management basic skill students would need to succeed in college that they are just expected to adjust to a very different environment by themselves. 

After reading the passage “A talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin, you can understand his point of view on things and see that the author digs a little deeper into history to prove his current given points. He wants to educate kids about all sides of American history, he stated “I would teach him that the press he reads is not as free as it says it is – and that he can do something about that, too. I would try to make him know that just as American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it, so is the world larger, more daring, more beautiful and more terrible, but principally larger – and that it belongs to him.” By those words I think James meant that the world is much larger than teachers / school system shows us , you have to think outside of the box and know that maybe by some actions and by knowing your history you can change your life now and yours and your kid’s future.

Question number two: Something I really wish I was taught in school is anything regarding finances, banks, bank accounts etc. In school we learn the basics, for example a bunch of math formulas that I personally can guarantee that I am not going to be using half of that knowledge in real life. Or a lot of scientific facts, that also a pretty useless information for me unless I would spontaneously change life path/major and go into science related majors. But what I wish I was taught is about how bank accounts work, when and how you should open it, what’s the recommendations of where to open savings account or maybe checking’s account. More college information such as about different loans, scholarships etc. information. Or also I wish i was taught at least a little information on renting, housing or maybe for example IRS form. I feel like if the things that I listed above would have been taught to kids in high school, it could be a really useful knowledge that when you get out of school and you are on your own in this adult world, you actually know what and how to do it. – Julia K

James Baldwin was saying that you don’t have to assimilate to society expectations.  You have the right to be able to perceive the world in which you wish to perceive it.  Baldwin means when he says the “world is larger” is that the world is gonna continue to expand. When people are born they gain knowledge from other generations. This knowledge is therefore passed on to the next generation. What he means by saying we have the necessity to exam things is to learn off the things we are learning, to be able to adapt it. I wish in school I had been taught about stocks, taxes, and financial literacy. We had to wait until college. Even in college we still don’t know about it unless its our major or we learn outside of school. To know these things we are getting a better understanding of life. We don’t want to be ignorant of the things around us. I wish I had also been taught how to get a job and make money in school.  No one said you were guarantee a job after college even if you take the hardest major. No one said what was next. We just constantly go to school for 4 years or even more without knowing what’s next. After Elementary we knew it was middle school then high school then you choose a major to study in college but what is after that? What do we do next ? How do we move forwards ?  Yes, you can go for your masters if you want and that can just give you even more money to spend for another possible 4 years of school. But with an associates, bachelors and masters what is next for anyone ? Yes you can apply for internships but it’s not 100% guarantee a job on the spot. So, yes it would’ve been useful to know these topics in school so I can survive through life knowing I have no problems.