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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
Brenda Alatorre
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
Students Interests and Passion Centered Education
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
Abstract
Schools should teach students how to find their passions and interests, but also give them
the resources for post-graduation reality. Since not all students will want to continue to college or
have any idea what career they want to pursue until later schools should equip students with
skills to identify their interests, strengths, weaknesses, and passions. When individuals are self-
aware of who they are and what their interests and passions are it may lead them to believe in
themselves more and go for a career that they may actually enjoy.
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
Education is clearly important in our lives. We need an education to get a job, to go to
college and get certain careers. Through our education systems we learn how to read, write, and
do math, which are essential skills that we need in life overall. I believe schools should teach
students how to function in the real world like where to find and apply for jobs, how to buy a
house and other important life skills we will need to be successful individuals of society. Also,
schools should teach children how to to be aware of their passions and what skills and strengths
they have that they could use in their careers later. Schools need to prepare their students for their
futures, by focusing on the students’ passions, interests and needs and giving them more real life
classes and advice for post grad life.
Philosophy of Schools and Learning
My philosophy of education is that schools should teach their students how to find their
passions by allowing them time to pick a subject of their interest to work on for at least an hour
out of the school day. Much like Montessori’s curriculum, she would allow the children to work
on an activity of choice until it was mastered (Ornstein et al., 2017. Pg. 111). Even though
Montessori focuses on early childhood education, by allowing older kids to find what interests
them and doing projects of their choosing can be beneficial. Every child is unique and has
different interests, so allowing them a set time to choose an activity that they feel passionate
about or interested in can help students feel more engaged in school. Not all students will want to
take the college pathway and I think we should prepare our students for different career
pathways. I believe this can help students find their strengths and weaknesses so they know what
careers they would most likely like to pursue. In an article on Montessori teaching at a middle
school state, “For instance, one frequently used strategy was to have students identify a topic of
personal interest, research it, and then be responsible for presenting the information to the class”
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
(Rathunde & Csikszentmihalyi, 2005). This kind of self-directed assignment can help students be
responsible for their own research work and still have control to pick what interests them. Also,
schools ought to provide more classes that teach about life after high school, like how to build
their resume and find jobs, how to find a house, and how to finance a car. Because these are all
things we will have to learn to do once we graduate. In the US, graduating from high school is
considered a big milestone in our lives. But a lot of times we are left with little knowledge on
what the next steps for us should be. We are encouraged to apply to colleges but not every
individual wants to pursue a college degree and I think we should not push that on to students.
That is why schools should teach all high school students how to be financially responsible, how
to find and apply for jobs, and among other things we need to know how to do as young adults.
Overall students should leave high school equipped with the knowledge they need to start a life if
they choose to not go to the college route.
Instructional Practice
Every student is unique and learns in their own way. While some may be visual learners,
others may be tactile learners. There aren’t a one size fits all way for students to learn. I believe
that schools need to accommodate the student’s ways of learning by allowing them to explore
their surroundings and using the materials they have to help them. There should be an hour of
unstructured time out of their school day to let the students focus on projects or on things that
interest them. This could be a time of self-expression, drawing, building, painting. Also, it could
be a time of work out, exercise, and attending classes related to their interests. This could also be
used as time to do research on a topic of choice. Like the Montessori environment they would
not be graded for this period, but they could be given feedback, on their strengths and
weaknesses. I believe this would help students know what they are good at and what they may
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
want to focus more on. But always having a teacher around to guide the students and help them
develop those interest.
The best approach to allowing students time for self-expression is the student-centered
curricula. This method balanced with subject matters would be the best approach to allow the
students free time to develop their interests, but also teach them the essentials of writing, reading,
math and whichever subjects are prominent. I believe that students can learn when they are
allowed to express themselves. Starting in elementary students should be allowed to explore their
interests in schools like drawing, building, painting, and art, which can be fun and engaging for
students. The five approaches of student-centered curricula are relevant centered, activity-
centered, the humanistic approach, value centered, and alternative or free schools (Ornstein et al.,
2017. Pg. 401). This curriculum emphasizes the students’ needs and interests over subject
matters.
Teacher-Learner Relationships
The role of the learner is to engage in the work to increase their knowledge. The learner
should be active listeners, as well as participate in their learning by asking questions and problem
solving. The role of the teacher is to instruct and engage students in the activities. The teacher
must teach students new skills and guide the students on different activities. But teachers need
ways to make learning fun and creative for their students. This can help students be more excited
to learn when it feels interesting to them. Furthermore, the teacher-student relationship is the
most important in the school building because they are together the most. According to an article,
“a previous meta-analysis showed that affective teacher behaviors (e.g., teacher empathy and
teacher warmth) were more strongly associated with students' school outcomes than instructional
teacher behaviors (e.g., encouragement of learning and higher order thinking; Cornelius-White,
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
Diversity
The United States is considered a melting pot for diversity. It is important that in schools we
learn how to accommodate cultural differences. Since we are most likely going to work with
children of diverse backgrounds, we need to prepare ourselves for having cultural differences
with some of our students. Depending on the area where one lives, some places may have more
cultural diversity than others. For all students to excel in education, schools must make sure to
provide equal opportunities to all students and those of minority groups (Ornstein et al., 2017).
This can be done by adapting work in the student’s language. Learning how to communicate with
the student if they are coming from a non-English speaking home and asking for resources to
2007). When the teacher- student relationship is positive it is believed that students will want to
participate more. For students to thrive in a school environment there needs to be a good
relationship between the teacher-student. The teacher-student relationship should be one of
mutual respect, trust, and warmth. This relationship can help the student’s engagement in class,
their academic success, and their well-being in a positive way (Split et al., 2011). When there is a
distant or conflictual relationship between the student teacher, both parties can be affected
negatively. The student may refuse to do work, interrupt during lessons and may feel like they
don’t belong. It is also important that the school counselor can collaborate with the teachers in
the building. A good idea would be to ask teachers in the building what do they feel like their
student’s greatest’s needs are in social emotional development. This could be done over an email
or in a short meeting. Also, the school counselor could work with teachers to go into classrooms
and teach a lesson on whatever skills or needs the students are needing. This could be done
during students unstructured times like lunches.
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
help that student. According to an article, “Schools and teachers who see the world through an
intercultural lens and develop teaching and learning skills through the center of this lens can
develop the academic success of the student and create safe classes in which cultural identities
are expressed freely” (Alberta Teachers' Association Staff, 2010; Colombo, 2006). This can be
accomplished by going to trainings that provide tools for working in diverse schools.
Furthermore, by developing classrooms that are safe for diverse populations, a student can feel
more comfortable attending school when they feel safe and welcomed. A teacher can do this by
asking the student questions about who they are, getting books and materials that they could
relate too.
My calling
I’ve felt like my calling is to work as a school counselor over the past two years. I have
worked in the school setting for the 6 years as a teacher aide. Through this role I have learned a
lot about my strengths and weaknesses. I learned that I have a passion for working and helping
children. I also enjoy the one on one and group interactions over a whole classroom setting. I
have been told to go into teaching because I already have my bachelors, but I just do not have a
passion for teaching. It’s my personal belief that you should go into a career because it interests
you and not just because of the money. That is why I have chosen to go back to school to get my
degree in school counseling. I believe that my skill set is better in a counseling setting then a
classroom setting.
Conclusion
Overall, the focus of education should be on meeting students’ needs but also on helping
them build their interests and finding their own passions. This can help a senior who is
graduating high school to know what they want to do. This could also help relieve the pressure
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
from attending a college and not knowing what they want to do because they don’t want to take
that route. Schools should also prepare students for after high school realities that happen like
having to apply for jobs, how to be financially smart and taking out loans, among other things
that may happen after graduation.
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Student Interests and Passion Centered Education
References
Alberta Teachers' Association Staff. (2010). Here comes everyone: Teaching in the intercultural
classroom. Edmonton: AB. Retrieved from
https://www.teachers.ab.ca/sitecollectiondocuments/ata/publications/human-rights-
issues/mon3%20here%20comes%20everyone.pdf
Colombo, M. W. (2006). Building school partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse
families. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(4), 314-318.
Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., Gutek, G. L., & Vocke, D. E. (2017). Foundations of
Education (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Rathunde, K., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2005). Middle School Students’ Motivation and Quality
of Experience: A Comparison of Montessori and Traditional School
Environments. American Journal of Education, 111(3), 341–371.
https://doi.org/10.1086/428885
Spilt, J. L., Koomen, H. M., Y., & Thijs, J. T. (2011). Teacher Wellbeing: The Importance of
Teacher-Student Relationships. Educational Psychology Review, 23(4), 457-477.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9170-y
