Knowledge

Education: Noun - the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

The more you know the better you are in your life. Whether it is street smarts or books, sometimes a combo of both is the most beneficial. Nowadays, learning and education are down played. Children are no longer being encouraged to be all that they can be. Teachers are only doing their jobs for a paycheck. The passion behind the art of teaching is gone. This is sad as the education being provided is half-assed.

The children coming home from school still need lessons in order to complete their homework. This is frustrating on parents. What are we paying taxes for? Teachers are not teaching our children to their full potential anymore. The passion to teach the children and then have them walk out the classroom fulfilled is no longer there. Teachers have a bad habit of labeling these children as hyper, ADD or even “basic”. This is false in most of the cases as all these children need are more nurturing. Not every child can pick up on certain concepts at the same speed. Everyone learns differently.

I can attest to the fact that I spent many a evenings teaching my daughter the day’s lesions just to get her to be able to complete her homework. I felt this is something that the teachers should be doing in school. The teachers can defend themselves and say that class sizes have increased and it’s almost impossible to teach so many kids in one day. This is not a good defense. These teachers are being paid to do a job and so many children are still being left behind. This all seems backwards to me, but I guess school is not what it used to be.

The art of education has been lost. Even being in high school, I can remember being smart got you made fun of. Getting A’s on your tests and someone always had something to say. I believe this is still happening today. The moments that these kids need to be learning, they are being influenced by peers and the streets. The wrong information is being loaded in these young minds. Watching music videos and sporting the newest sneakers is not the most important thing in life. These will not get them into the being the future’s next world leaders.

President Obama did not make it to be the president by sitting on the block or ditching classes. Oprah did not make it to being the richest black woman in the world by sitting there expecting a man to take care of here. Julia Roberts is not the most highly paid actress by not doing her homework. These people took advantage of their education and the opportunities to learn. They were also guided by the right people to get their education and be the best that they could be. Knowledge made these people who they are today. Being the president or the best actress just does not appear out of nowhere. They have the foundation (knowledge & education) to enhance their skills.

Without education, our children are misguided. If the teacher and parents do not show the passion for learning, then the children will not either. Our future relies on how well we prepare our children.

I look around at these children today and listen to how they talk and see how they need attention. They need to be guided and shown the right way so they can make something of themselves. So many people do not make it to college because they do not know about the many scholarships and grants out there. This is all in the know.

At the end of the day, it is what you know that will get you places in life. To be successful, it is a mixture of skill and knowledge. If you do not have the knowhow; your abilities are limited. Education is a big part of living and being all that one can be.

Guidance

Today I look around and see that so many kids are left with no direction. I was having a conversation with a good buddy of mine and we got to talking about children with no guidance. Parental figures are no longer providing guidance nor or the so-called teachers. I can only shake my head at the thought of un-guided minds wondering aimlessly throughout life.

Could lack of direction be the reason why ambition is lacking in this generation? Could it be that parents are too busy? Could it be that missing parent? Could it be that divorces have put the children through agony? Could it be that teachers don't care anymore? Could it be the wrong influences intoxicating the minds of the youth today?There are so many factors that COULD be the cause. Whether it's one or all of the above, there is an issue with the youth. They lack the attention that they need to be strong and independent. We have too many children being followers and not enough being leaders!

If I go to the mall I see females in tight cloths or mini shorts and skirts. You have to ask...where is their parents? Surprising enough, mom is right next to them wearing the same thing. I have to shake my head as that is the wrong message to send to a young female. Wearing that type of clothing brings the wrong attention. Men will ogle and stare, however their thoughts will be negative and not a loving intention. Men will think of the quickest way to get you outta them tight shorts. Older men at that. Because when you dress like that, men cannot tell what age you are. You are not dressed like a girl but a woman showing off her assets like a hooker on the street. In this scenario, where is the guidance? Someone needs to let these young ladies know that they are portraying to the world that they do not have respect for their own bodies or themselves. Classy is the way to leave things to the imagination. Trust and believe respect is given to those who show respect for themselves.

On the other hand, I went to the movies a while ago and saw a young man with his boxers showing and his jeans hanging underneath his butt. Not to mention he was sporting around in just a wife beater. How could someone take this young brotha seriously? I sure nuff didn't.  This disturbed me something serious. I am one to prove stereotypes wrong, but this young brotha fit right into the black male stereotype. Once again...where was the guidance? Someone should've told this young brotha that he is representing himself in the wrong way.

There are so many instances that I can go into where the lack of guidance to youths today have affected society. Since when has it been cool to be stupid? Even when I was in high school, people hated on me because I was smart. Sorry, but people have fought and gave their lives for me to sit and learn. Having the opportunity to learn is a special gift. The guidance from the teachers are no longer there. I remember when I had some teachers who actually cared about the students. Now....it's just that has a paycheck for them.

My daughter came home from school this past year and said the teacher called the class babies and they are not ready for 3rd grade. I was furious! Teachers are suppose to uplift the children and show them their worth. No, we have teachers talking down to our children and they wonder why kids hate school. It makes no sense to me. The guidance is lacking or is negative.Our children need to be shown the right way. They need that village to raise a child. That old saying no longer exists. Everyone ignores the problems in their communities but holds tight to the no snitching saying. Instead we should be taking these youngsters under our wing and showing them the right path.Though times are rough, children still need to be raised. They need to be taught the lessons of life and how to deal with them. Hustlin is not a job. Playing xbox is not going to make your mind stronger. Chatting with people on facebook, myspace, and twitter is not going to broaden your horizons.

Michelle Obama did not make it to the white house with her husband by wearing tight shorts and hanging at the mall. We need more positive role models. We need more free community centers to give these children a place where they can grow to their full potential.We have to do our part and provide the guidance that our children and their friends need. We need to shape the world to be better than it has been. We need to make the best outta the youth today to mold a better future for them. Guidance is the only answer...