What Types of Citizens Have We Created?

Something I remember from elementary school and junior high is that during holidays like Christmas or thanksgiving there was always a food/can drive at school. We were in many ways required to bring something. In elementary school, it was more to teach us the act of giving to others and to help in our community. In junior high, there was more of a competitive vibe that went along with the community service we were supposed to feel the need as citizens to do. If we were the class who brought the most food or cans to school the reward was a pizza party for the class. I never really saw these acts to be self-less or to be for the greater good of my community. It didn’t click in that we were doing these things for others to become a better citizen. It just seemed to be something we did without thinking, I don’t distinctly remember an explanation for the actions we were doing, it was just exected. One of the only times where I did that type of community service was when my mom and I decided to try delivering packages for Santa’s Anonymous. I was young and I didn’t understand the actual meaning behind the act of doing the community service. The main focus of the community service that I was taught in my younger years was the personally responsible stage. There wasn’t any look as to why these people were hungry or didn’t have money for food. Even some of the places where the actions wanted of us came from were not from places of actual want or feeling to do it. Making something like the competitive took away from the feeling of wanting to help someone or to take your time and give it to someone else to help them. I don’t feel as though I was taught to help others because of solidarity or being a giving individual, that message did not come across in the requirements of my education to do charitable acts for others.

In curriculum, there is focus on academic and logical thinking where the topic of self, giving and spirituality of becoming part of the community. The idea of citizenship is personal and is different to each person individually. WIth the curriculum being so focused on the academic part of education there is very little room for the development of a citizen and exploring what that means for every person individually. Obviously, there cannot be parts of the curriculum made for each student individually but there can be areas of the curriculum where students can explore what being a citizen or being apart of the community and the world means to them. This would create the type of spirit of a person, outside the rigidity of Taylor’s want to make the perfect adult. Taking more time in the curriculum and education to explore what being a citizen means and how individuals want to be involved would increase the self of self in students. Understanding where one fits in society and the world creates a direction to where one sees a need for them to fill.