External Factors Listening to Professor

External Factors

Listening to Professor Robinson's words concerning three of the factors that elicit a strong influence on today's teaching environment, I find myself contemplating the variety of external and internal factors affecting my particular program. I consider the economic factor that most often effects my program is the high unemployment rate currently besetting the community in which I teach. The demographic factor is race and ethnicity of my students, teachers, instructors and administrators that I come in contact with on a daily basis. The environmental factors of my program would have to the be current cost of energy as it affects my students in their quest for an improved education and the many benefits that are derived from that improvement.

Every environment has external factors that exert influence on that environment. Some of those influences are positive in nature, others are negative. Concerning the factors that I see in my specific program, the three mentioned above all exert positive influences on the individuals in that they make the task of obtaining an education a little bit tougher. Most experts would look at that as a negative, whereas I see it as totally positive.

As an example; the high unemployment rate certainly affects the individuals that are suffering with less income than if they had a full-time high paying job. However, it also provides an incentive to those same individuals to change or overcome their circumstances.

Many of my students are motivated to achieve a higher degree in order to change their current lifestyles. The majority see that one very effective method of getting ahead in life is through a higher education. Many are working part-time jobs to pay for the education. Many have families at home that also demand their time and attention. Yet, still they persevere.

Thus the high unemployment factor is actually a positive factor in facilitating growth, not a negative factor as many perceive.

The demographic factor of race and ethnicity is also positive in that it provides not only the opportunity to succeed, or to achieve a higher education to a vast array of individuals, it also provides a beacon of light to those who believe that they cannot be successful due to their race, culture, upbringing, or circumstances. The educational community over the past several decades has made excellent progress in providing opportunities at all levels of society, and to all types of individuals. This provides an excellent example to society overall and it is very positive in nature.

Last but not least is the environmental factor that most affects the program with which I am associated. I view this factor as positive in nature as well. The rising cost of energy affects all aspects of life, not least among them the students who attend my classes who are most likely to be at the bottom rungs of the economic scale. These students are the ones who can least afford to pay the higher costs of energy. These students are faced with not only the visible price of fueling their transportation, but the often hidden price of energy that effects every day purchases. The current administration swears there are no signs of inflation, but my students would likely vehemently disagree. Rising food, clothing, books and living quarter prices are all influenced by the higher energy prices, and with barrels of oil now over the magical $100