Education is a means to save one's life because if you are educated you can do anything that you want. If you are uneducated, you are bound to struggle with life and just making ends meet. With an education you can have a career that means a lot to you and earns better money. Without an education you get stuck in minimum wage jobs and struggling your whole life just to put food on the table. I am obtaining my education so that I can get a better paying career.
Alexie is attempting to save the lives of the children that he helps by visiting the schools on reservations and educating the children. He remembers what it was like not being taught the things that he is teaching the children when he was in the reservation school system. He wants the children to learn everything that he had to teach himself. He feels that visiting their schools and teaching the children helps them become more educated, which will help them as adults, which in the end could save their lives.
Alexie saved his own life by not letting the stereotype that Indians are stupid get in the way of what he wanted to do. He educated himself so that he could achieve whatever he wanted to as an adult. Achieving his education made it so that he did not have to struggle as much as his parents had during his childhood.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you in regards to how important education is and believe it or not I use to think that going to college wasn’t that important. When I was growing up you went to school graduated and then got married. Now almost thirty years later, I cannot believe how important your education is! I have to say that I have drummed this into my own daughters head for years and she is getting ready to graduate with her BA. Look at our work force now, people who have been let go from there jobs are now having to go back to school to get a better education just to compete with others that have it ! I like you are getting my education so that I can get a better job. Education has never been more important for our children then it is now. I love Alexie passion for learning, I love how he never gave up and that he didn’t let his passion for learning end with him. I believe that all that he went through were the tools that he needed in order to fulfill his calling and that was to reach out to the children on the reservation and let them know that they too could do anything that they set their mind too. He was there to teach them their own potential and to never give up. Not only did he save his own life but now he has saved other’s. He is leaving quite a legacy for himself and others. I bet we will be hearing from other authors down the road who will give him, the credit that if it wasn’t for his love and devotion to the written word they would not be authors today. Thanks for sharing you are doing a great job.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about this essay is the way Alexie reminds us of the importance of education and learning. When we're in the thick of school, it's easy to forget how important education is in our world; we take it for granted. School becomes something to get through, rather than the privilege it really is. Education is the force that moves people into higher socioeconomic statuses and it's the requirement for many jobs.
I think Alexie also addresses the intangibles of education, namely the way our identity and sense of self changes, and most importantly, the way our confidence increases as the result of education. We easily see what happens to students who are stereotyped as "stupid" or "unteachable", and yet we fail to see how these are labels that become self-fulfilling prophecies. In the same way, finding success in education boosts esteem and becomes another self-fulfilling prophecy, albeit a positive one. Just one perception has the power to alter a person's future.
Thanks for giving me more to think about.
Take care,
Lauren
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your dialogue. I also believe that Alexie was an incredible guy. Education is our key to success.
It was amazing that Alexie had such an individual belief and not to follow their traditions. It had to have taken a lot of bravery to be such a strong individual and follow his dreams of education.
Also, you are right about what you said about people having to go back to school later in life because we are stuck in minimum wage jobs. That is a classic example of me. I am 41 years old and with 5 kids. In my heart I really want to become a nurse. So, I am now going back to school which is going to be totally difficult with 5 children and a hubby who travels all week. Although, I am thankful for having the opportunity for my education to better myself.
Good luck with your schooling:-)
Dina
Hi Michelle, I completely agree with you, getting an education is so important. It makes a huge difference towards you future. An education is used everyday, so you must learn it to getting your life to where you can it to be successful in life. Alexie's reading really make me think back why education matters so much. You are right, you wouldn't want to work for minimum wage to keep a living to support your family, your better that way. You learn to challenge yourself for the better. Thanks for opening my mind with something more to think about.
ReplyDeleteLesley
I couldnt agree more that starting your writing with education saves lives couldnt be more true...just think parent taught driver's education saves lives!!
ReplyDeletethank you for the reading
Daye