Schooling is Kind of Like Socialism

Think of knowledge as if it’s a currency. Teachers are those who are very wealthy in knowledge, therefore are of a wealthier ‘class’, compared to students who are much less knowledgeable about the subject. When teachers are able to pour in a lot of effort and pass on their knowledge, they are helping everyone around them rise up to become better. The net benefit is overall positive, and society (the classroom in this metaphor) is doing better in the end. Of course, this metaphor falls off a bit where the teachers aren’t actually losing anything besides time. They still retain their ‘currency’, they’re just losing a different form of it that’s equal amongst everyone in society (time). I think it’s an interesting way to view teaching, since I don’t think the two are ever looked at as if they’re similar. Of course, politics should stay out of the classroom which is also why this metaphor is probably not that popular, but it definitely is something interesting to think about.