Hybrid Assignment #2
When I read Taylor’s argument about creative people being torn between staying in their chosen profession and being able to express their creativity and their love for what they do or choosing other profession or jobs for economic reasons (e.g. better pay), I thought of myself in that situation. I would like to be an early childhood educator because I love working with children, and I enjoy being creative in designing and planning curriculum and lesson plans, and even setting-up the classroom environment, activity centers, and materials that would foster young children’s curiosity and learning experiences. I understand that teachers are not paid as much as other profession. Even though I would really love to be an early childhood educator, there are also times when I get concerned whether or not this profession will be able to support me and my family financially. However, loving and enjoying what I do and being able to express my creativity in my work is more important to me because I believe I will be more successful if I love what I am doing. Whenever I have doubts (specifically about the economic part of it), I just think that I can find other ways to supplement my income like working extra for after school programs and in summer programs.
I also think about the other teachers who choose to stay in this profession for the same reasons that I have. However, this also brings up another issue about the limitations some teachers are experiencing in regards to being creative in their curriculum and lesson plans due to the shifting focus on academics and standardized testing for funding for schools. Because of the pressure to achieve high scores on these standardized tests, some teachers had no choice but to follow and just rely on textbooks, rote learning, and practicing the questions on the tests, rather than being creative in their teaching. Still, it’s the question between creativity in jobs vs. economics.
Artists and musicians are also caught in the same situation. They express their creativity through their work of art such as paintings and drawings and through their songs or instruments. But, they do not get paid enough. If we watch Youtube videos, we will find a lot of talented singers and musicians who share their songs and music in these channels. But how much are they getting paid? How many of them have to work additional jobs in order to do what they love and still survive financially? How many of them have to give up the profession they enjoy and love and work somewhere they can receive better pay?
