There’s hundreds of classes schools offer to help better your future and find your future career. Schools are meant to set up students for success. In my 12 years of being in school I noticed a common thing in every classroom, there’s always a few students that get scared to speak in front of the class. That’s been a thing for years but in more recent times I’ve also come to notice that students now struggle just talking with fellow classmates. If a teacher says go talk to someone in your class, people just go to their friends. So how are we supposed to speak to people if everyone already has their established friend groups? How are we supposed to speak in front of the whole class if we don’t practice?
That’s why I think that Oregon City High School should implement a public speaking class. A public speaking class would aim to enhance students’ speaking skills and communication abilities giving them a better chance to make more connections within careers and communities. Students need to be able to learn how to properly engage an audience without boring them or pausing in between their speech. If someone wants to pursue a career in business they need to have a confident demeanor. Someone hiring people wants to see a strong,well managed and confident person stand to represent their company. Which is why a public speaking class is a great opportunity for students who are interested in a future career in business, humanity or anything involving speaking to people.
Warren Buffet a successful billionaire, investor, and philanthropist has had people line up to hear him speak. Whether it’s about investing tips or life advice, he has a strong reputation. The only way he built his strong reputation was because of his confidence in speaking, which isn’t always the case. Buffet told author Gillian Zoe Segal that public speaking used to make him “physically ill” and he purposely took college classes that didn’t involve speaking in front of his class. After graduating business school he finally decided it was time to overcome his fear, so he enrolled in a public speaking course. Now looking back, Buffet attest his success to the course he took. Buffet told Zegal “A relatively modest improvement, can make a major difference in your future earning power, as well as many other aspects of your life.” A modest improvement such as having the opportunity to take a public speaking class can positively affect students in a multitude of ways.
A majority of things that students struggle with in school can be improved. A student who struggles in math can ask their teacher for more help, a student who doesn’t understand something can be taught how to do it. So students that struggle with public speaking should have the same opportunity to work on speaking out loud. If high schools truly care about the future of their students they will understand why a public speaking class is necessary to improve communication starting with younger students.
Despite the numerous classes offered, I would like a new physical education class. What class exactly? A Team Sports class. This was offered at David Douglas, and it was a really fun class from what I can remember.
The class was divided into units, like any other, having around 4-6. Each unit was a different sport, and we’d spend a day learning how to play; if we knew it already we just started. From there, the top 4 players were chosen as team captains, and then we went into drafts. After everyone was into teams, we’d have some warm-up/exhibition matches; this would last a day or 2. After this period, we’d go into a standard tournament format.
Now why is this useful? Well, sometimes, talent is just too worried to join. Maybe they think they’re too old, not good enough, or the sport isn’t even that fun. A class like this would be a good way to “test the waters,” and have no real consequences after. A great example of teaching a skill without consequence is leadership. So what if you lose the basketball tournament? It’s not like you lost the school a championship. Although PE does play sports- and actually has a very similar format to what I mentioned- that atmosphere isn’t present.
But what to do with all the other physical education classes? Well, PE should either be replaced, or rebranded to fit this style instead. This does run the risk of missing out on potential prospects due to not making the content of the class clear. Rebranding to “Team Sports” might deter more… casual fitness enjoyers; but that’s completely fine. We have a yoga class for people less physically inclined, and even a physical condition and toning for those more into… conditioning and toning.
Incentivising competition like this is also helpful for people’s mental health. Again, some people are scared of competition, but might be less so if their friend is in the same class. Which is another benefit; socializing. Sp orts is a great way to make new friends, and bonds from sports are typically more solid.
Won’t a new- or rebranded- class be detrimental to other classes? No, rebranding PE into team sports could actually bring light to the other physical education classes. Weights aren’t exactly in need of it, and neither is yoga really; but conditioning… I haven’t heard of that class in a while. In other words, a more even distribution of students is more likely to occur.
But won’t that disruption be a bad thing? Despite the opportunity for more socializing being a net positive, there are other benefits. Encouraging the students to diversify could help them in the sense of long term physical health. A sort of “oh, that class was fun, what if I do it now as an adult?” I know a few people who fell in love with weight lifting after weights. If this can happen for that class, why can’t it for team sports? You know, the stuff you play to have fun with?
Okay okay, so there are a lot of individual benefits, but what about for the school? Well- ignoring the easier system of obtaining prospects- the class also provides a clearer reason for school pride. I for one struggle with this to this day, and it’s only because I haven’t really done much- or helped- as a community and/or member of the school. Even though this wouldn’t be an official school event, competing with people, forging bonds, and winning through adversity helps you connect yourself to the school more.
Oregon City High School should implement a public speaking and debate class. This class could teach students how to improve their speaking and communication skills. They could practice debates, write speeches and present them to the class, and make public presentations on important topics.
The skills of public speaking and debating well are abilities that students can bring into their future lives and careers. For example, if a student wants to be a lawyer, this class is a perfect opportunity. Knowing how to communicate in an argument and get people on your side is something that would benefit many students. Not only do many people enjoy winning arguments, but imagine you are fighting for an important cause. If you win, the outcome will be very beneficial to many. You need to know how to properly debate, and do it in such a way that you get helpful supporters.
High school debate is a stepping stone on the way to enhanced critical thinking, research abilities, and communication skills. Rowland Hall says, “Debate participation promotes problem solving and innovative thinking, and helps students build links between words and ideas that makes concepts more meaningful. Debate students are taught to synthesize wide bodies of complex information, and to exercise creativity and to implement different ways of knowing.” You have to be smart and well spoken to debate correctly. Because of this, students may want to go out to improve these skills all on their own, in order to do better in the class. Unprovoked, not many students are willing to do that. If they need to, then they will most likely be more encouraged to try harder.
Even if a student wants a career where you don’t need to debate, public speaking is always a skill you need. Imagine you get offered an opportunity to do something you are passionate about and enjoy doing. I guarantee you will need to know how to be good at getting what you have to say across. You will also be a valuable asset to many jobs and people. Many people avoid public speaking because they are too shy or they are afraid of not succeeding. If you can do it, and do it well, then companies and opportunities will be a lot more encouraged to recruit you.
Alongside these benefits, public speaking boosts confidence and grows leadership. When you are confident in your ideas and how you present them, people will notice. It is very easy to find someone who is sure of themselves. The Delhi Institute of Public Speaking says that, “ They considerably help you overcome your fears and other insecurities that accompany you while speaking in public.” People will take you more seriously if you present your ideas with a successful mindset.
How about extracurricular activities? Sports teams, student government, clubs, and pre-college internships all require this skill. If you don’t have them, then you will fall behind your other peers. Colleges look for extracurriculars, and if you succeed with them then you will have a better chance. In sports, you need to know how to help your teammates and motivate them. In student government, you need to know how to get your ideas and points out and get people to listen and take them seriously. With clubs, you need to know how to encourage your classmates and get your ideas out. And with pre-college internships, you need to know how to do your jobs and assignments correctly and impress your superiors.
These skills will also benefit you now, and not just in the future. In English classes you will be able to write better and make your essays stronger. In History and Science classes, you will be able to do presentations and share what you have learned with your peers. In Math classes, you will be able to help your classmates understand what you are learning better. Even with electives. There are many different kinds of electives offered at this school, and you can apply these skills in almost, if not every single one of them. I strongly believe that if you have these abilities, then school will come much easier to you, your grades will improve, and your teachers will be very impressed.
There are many classes offered in high schools that range from lots of different interests. However, a class that is missing is History Through Music. This class can teach students about history and key events, while being entertaining and engaging. Students would be able to learn a lot from this class and let their creativity run loose.
In most history classes, the knowledge comes straight from a textbook which often bores students and doesn’t paint a big enough picture about pop culture in that time period. Most teenagers listen to music multiple times a day, and sometimes it is what calms them. That is not a new thing though. In fact, humans have been listening and creating music since Prehistoric times. They weren’t exactly streaming it through apps or listening to it with bluetooth headphones, but music is still music.
In “The Impact of Music on Students” an article from The Texas Times says, “About 50 to 60 percent of students listen to music while studying…” This shows how music wakes up the mind and gets students involved in learning and what task they are working on.
Not only does music lift your mood, but it also causes you to feel more creative with your surroundings and what you are learning. The beats and rhythms in the songs can help boost memory and attention while fostering emotional growth. In the classroom setting for this course, students would hear a song from a time period and immediately resonate that with what they are learning, which helps them remember the things that they are being taught, uplifting their cognitive skills.
Songs tell a story with their lyrics, and so a lot of songs from historic times have deep meaning that’s hard to understand from textbook history. A lot of kids’ least favorite subject is history, because it doesnʻt seem relevant anymore. If there is music involved from many different time periods, it makes it easier to pay attention because it’s on a common ground to something that they do daily. Who knows, it could open up a whole new genre or artist that they immediately fall in love with. According to April Kaiser, a teacher at Northern Illinois University, children naturally love music and are drawn to it. Music is key to child development, and so when combining it with history, kids can get a lot out of the class.
Knowing history is really important, and with it are heavy emotions that people may feel. When getting lectured on it, kids can feel intimidated by the topics they are learning. Listening to music, songs, and artists from that certain time period can cause kids to feel more relaxed when it comes to learning about such heavy topics. Music is a natural calming technique that many people use, and when students are allowed to listen to music while learning, it creates a balance in their brains which causes them to want to go to class and learn from it.
Most high schools offer history classes that are required for graduation, and then the choices stop. At Oregon City High School, students are only required to take a history class as a Freshman or Sophomore, and there are very few options to choose from. Once someone is going into their Junior year of high school, the choices go away. A sudden stop to offer history electives, stops the train of knowledge kids have about the topic. Oftentimes, high school administrators stop offering history classes because of the lack of interest, and they don’t want to offer a class that no one would take. However, that can change with the addition of History Through Music. The music would draw kids in to take the class. When someone walks down the hallways and hears music of all different time periods playing from a classroom, they automatically want to see what that class is and would be drawn in to learn more.
According to the New York Times, teenagers lean towards popular music and artists that everyone is listening to, even if they think that it is not enjoyable. Oftentimes, kids listen to the same few songs or artists on repeat with no additions into their music cycle. With the addition of History Through Music, students can be introduced to new genres of music from different time periods that they would not normally gravitate to. Allowing students to get lost in the music and let their stresses melt away can help lighten their mood and also turn the classroom environment into a place where they want to be.
The class History Through Music should be added to the school’s curriculum because it opens up new gates in students’ minds and allows the wheels in their brain to start moving. This class would cause students to feel more creative, happy, and knowledgeable. Additionally, the class can cause interest in the importance of history with the addition of pop culture to intrigue the students. The school, teachers, and students would all benefit from this class for the better and wake up their minds. Knowledge is power and so with creating this class and providing it as a course to take, students will feel more empowered with the things that they learn and music they listen to. With a combination of learning and new music, students will start looking through windows at what history is all about and the different artists that come with it instead of looking in the mirror at their go-to genres and textbook knowledge of past events.
My idea of a new class would be an automotive tech related class. I am an active member of Associated Fords of the 50’s & 60’s Car Club. This club is sponsored and managed by the Multnomah HotRod Council. I have spoken to these older gentlemen who founded these groups. They have wanted to expand their knowledge and further reach the youth by implementing their ideals and techniques through school districts.
Recently I attended my second year as a competitor in the Highschool Challenge at the Portland Roadster Show. I am grateful enough to have had that opportunity through family ties to the event. I have met many knowledgeable men and women who have the same ideals and perspectives as the members of the Multnomah HotRod council. We believe that the automotive industry should be readily available to the youth, there are many roadblocks (no pun intended). In the process of reaching out to these older folk who started these groups. As the years go by, many of these older gentlemen are passing away, and with their passing the knowledge goes with them. If they were able to implement their skills and knowledge to the youth through their schools. We can keep car culture and automotive skills relevant and not have it fade to time.
After being an active member of my car club since March 2nd 2024. I have seen that many other highschools have a partnership or an actual class for automotive focused work. From schools like Tillamook High School and their racing department (THS Drag Racing Team), to more dedicated schools like Cascadia Tech in Vancouver, Washington and their implemented automotive division. We at the Multnomah Hot Rod Council believe that the car culture should be available to ALL students and not just kids who are fortunate enough to have a shop at their school or be surrounded by money.
My club executives Larry Maynard and Cliff, who run the Highschool Challenge, have actually reached out to Oregon City in the past to expand our group and connect the kids to the event at the Portland Roadster Show. But OCHS stubbornly declined the offer due to Oregon City already having the annual Memorial Day Weekend Car Show down Main Street in Downtown Oregon City. The club and I fully understand the loyalty to the traditional event, this selfishness keeps any students in Oregon City to be hidden from the large sponsored opportunities. Like having access to the Portland Roadster Show. Oregon City High School could develop an automotive focused class and partner with the High School Challenge at the Portland Roadster Show and follow suit to many other High Schools in Oregon. They would see more revenue, more exposure, and many lifelong opportunities in the future that could open many large jobs and futures to kids that attend Oregon City High School.
While I am very aware of the partnership between OCHS and Clackamas Community College (CCC) and their trade oriented classes. Their availability and access to the students at OCHS is very vague and unappealing. In order to even be accepted into the CCC classes you need to be a Junior, or a Senior. This closes many opportunities for 9th & 10th graders. I myself have already faced difficulty trying to get into those classes. The hardships of trying to contact my counselor and the vagueness in instruction and detail from the school district, are very off putting to someone who may want to get into those classes and their related subjects.
In order to make things simpler, the school should implement a dedicated class. A class native to the highschool would be way more streamlined and simplified so the kids don’t have to miss other needed classes or vacate the school grounds. I personally know many many students who also wish the school provided a class like that. Many students who could have a promising future in a field they enjoy, but can’t pursue due to accessibility in the school.
What Course is Oregon City Lacking?
If Oregon City High School were to implement a new class, it would need to meet a few baseline requirements; teach a skill, show students new career pathways, and provide knowledge. To check all these boxes, my recommendation would be Scientific Illustration.
What is Scientific Illustration?
Scientific illustration is more than just drawing, it is being able to communicate details and subjects in an easily comprehensible way for the viewer. The Guild Handbook of Science Illustration describes it saying, “Scientific illustration takes the viewer to the often unobservable — from molecules and viruses to the universe, from depiction of the internal anatomy of arthropods and plants to geologic cross sections and reconstruction of extinct life forms, ranging from realistic to abstract portrayal.” Often, artwork by these illustrators is used in your school textbooks when a photograph isn’t as feasible. For example, the internal structures in an organism through a median view (through the middle) or an organism that is hard to photograph (underwater, microscopic, in space, etc). It is much easier for a skilled artist to produce a clear, accurate image for understanding purposes.
What Does the Class Look Like?
The class will be one semester long and cover topics in the realm of plants and animals. A student will learn the specific anatomy of (for example) a plant, and then be guided through drawing and labeling the pieces. They will come out of this class understanding what the organism is made of and how it can thrive in its environment while also gaining art skills. The start of the class will be slower and focus more on smaller and less evolved organisms like sea sponges, ferns, and other aquatic life before taking a turn to study more complex species like venus-fly traps, birds, and flowers.
Why Shouldn’t I Take a Different Art or Science Class?
Because of the scientific nature of this class, it counts as a science credit. It almost acts like a Botany or Physiology class in the way you are learning all of the external anatomy of these creatures to be able to explain how they work with themselves and their environment to live. The class will have tests and assignments to confirm understanding, although art is still the main focus.
What Can This Skill Lead To?
This class refines a plethora of skills that are helpful in day-to-day life like enhancing comprehension of complex scientific concepts, improving visual literacy, and fostering critical thinking skills by translating abstract ideas into accessible visual representations. This class also sheds light on careers in the field of scientific/health illustration, which is not a well-known job path. Most people working in this field make upwards of 70k a year, with health illustration making generally more, around 120k/y. Scientific Illustration may also give students a push into Biology or Anatomy and Physiology because of its corresponding topics. Most career illustrators have a degree in medicine or biology to aid their illustration abilities, and many of them go on to publish scientific journals or articles on their expertise after they’ve been doing it a while.
Why Now?
A science-based illustration class would be amazing, especially for kids who want a challenging art class. Currently, not a single school in Oregon is offering this course other than Oregon State University. The only school district in the United States with this program is Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia. It would only be fitting for a state as biologically diverse as Oregon to follow suit. The art classes Oregon has now are typical, teaching basic techniques. This idea offers a whole different style of learning than any other class and prepares students for future science and art classes. We are moving into an era where AI is taking jobs and scientific illustration is something the human mind and body will always be needed for, regardless of ever-evolving image-creating technology.
There are many classes that are available to take here at OCHS. The variety of classes that one can choose from, like choir, band, theater, to more educational classes like trigonometry, biology, and botany. Though there is a class that I wish students here could take, whether it’s for one term or two. There are already different kinds of art classes, but an art class that could be beneficial to students could be ceramics / pottery.
There are many artists out there and in schools that prefer hands-on activities. In a way, a ceramics class could help be a creative outlet for those who wish to pursue the subject. Ceramics can allow the creation of physical objects without needing the skills on paper. Those who may not be able to draw well can still craft a ceramic piece with a bit of patience and practice. Creating can also be a stress reliever, a health information site (Perspicuous Health) states that “The self-expression and the smooth movement of using your hands to create pottery is relaxing and helps to relieve stress. Cortisol levels are reduced.”. With the lack of stress levels in your brain, it can also boost your mood while creating. This can benefit students who are stressed over their other classes, being able to take a break and improve their mood before going to their next class.
Creating ceramics also requires a bit of thinking, which can also help improve a students planning skills and decision making. In general, ceramics is also a class that has been requested by students recently. It can also help students with wanting to pursue future careers in the manufacturing industry with creating ceramic tiles, bricks, cement, glass, mugs, bowls, plates, candleholders, and even planters. A few of those listed are used in everyday life, and learning how to make more of them can be beneficial for the community. Being able to make cement, bricks, and glass can also open up a possible engineering or building job. It can help open up opportunities later in life and in college for students. Having more goods being manufactured is beneficial also for society and community standpoints. It can also help open up job opportunities with the right amount of skill in the future. Overall, being able to open up a ceramics class can be beneficial for both students and those who wish to pursue a career in the same subject.
There are also colleges in the area that offer ceramic classes as a minor. One college is the Pacific Northwest College of Art. The ceramics department helps provide students with an ability to explore the medium of clay, strengthening strategies and being able to explore texture designs. The class would likely help with some prior knowledge on how to mold clay and create pottery, hence why a ceramics class in OCHS would be beneficial. That’s also not the only college that provides a ceramics class. Portland Community College also offers a ceramics class that explores the basics of ceramics. But that’s not all, Portland Community College offers 10 ceramics classes during the Spring semester, with 8 being offered during the winter. This goes to show that a ceramics class option would be beneficial considering different colleges that students might want to attend after highschool.
There are also many experts in the field saying things about ceramics. Ceramics may not be the easiest thing in the world to learn, but advice has been shared out there about people who are looking to start out. Ceramic artist Diana Fayt shares her advice to those students, and helps guide them on their journey. She says in the article that while ceramics may not become a full time career, those who can wait out the storms and challenges will be able to thrive. This is another reason why a ceramics class would be beneficial. Again, students who would want to pursue it as a career can persevere and keep on trying to reach their goal, even if it seems a long way away.
A mental health and wellness class can be incredibly beneficial both academically and personally. Understanding how your brain works and learning the right skills to address your personal needs is crucial for overall well-being.
First, coping skills are essential for managing life’s challenges, and a class like this can provide the support necessary to develop them. For instance, if you’re dealing with anxiety, this class can teach breathing exercises that help calm your body and mind, making it easier to manage panic attacks. By learning effective coping strategies, you can better handle school pressures, stress, and other emotional challenges.
Learning self-awareness is another crucial life skill a student needs to have. The class would encourage self-reflection, help students better understand their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Being self-aware can lead to personal growth and healthier decision making. Being able to recognize mental health struggles in yourself and others can lead to positive outcomes in your life.
A mental health class can help teach students how to prioritize taking care of themselves, and establishing healthy habits can lead to better overall health.
Understanding and managing emotions is key to bettering your own mental health. A wellness class can improve emotional intelligence, which is helpful for not just your wellbeing, but relationships and communication skills.
Mental health directly influences cognitive function and focus. By understanding mental wellness, students can improve their concentration, memory, and ability to perform academically.
Mental health and wellness classes often teach coping strategies and building resilience techniques. This prepares students to face challenges more effectively and to bounce back from any sort of setbacks.
Education about mental health can act as a preventative measure, helping students identify issues before they become more serious. Early intervention can make a big difference in long term well-being.
Students may also be in a position to support friends, peers, or family members who are struggling with their mental health. If students are better educated on the matter, they can offer better support and encourage others to seek the help they need.
OCHS has a great selection of classes you can take that count towards college credit. Lots of those are health classes, like Medical Terminology, and Honors Comparative Anatomy and Physiology. These classes are helpful to take if you want a career in human health services, giving early experience and college credit.
While it’s great we have these options, I believe we could benefit from adding a general Animal Health class to prepare kids who want to pursue any kind of animal science degree.
The amount of students applying to veterinary school is steadily increasing, according to the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. “The number of applicants seeking admission to veterinary medical colleges during the 2020-21 admissions cycle rose 19% year-over-year.” The increasing number of students pursuing veterinary careers matches the increasing need for veterinary workers. We should be setting future veterinarians up for success as early as we can, this is an easy way to do that.
Taking an Animal Health course in high school would introduce students to the curriculum they will see in college, and give them a leg up; especially if the class could offer college credit. According to James E. Williams, Professor of Animal Sciences at University of Missouri – Columbia, early exposure to veterinary education can greatly improve a students ability to understand and perform well later on in their college years and in their careers. This was proven in his study done in the Journal of Agricultural Education, where he found that students that participated in pre-veterinary courses early on were more likely to get into veterinary schools. “A larger percentage of animal science students in the Pre-Vet Learning community achieve academic success compared to students who do not participate”
While OCHS offers a Comparative Anatomy and Physiology class, it doesn’t provide the practical knowledge needed for a veterinary career—unless microbiology is your thing. As someone who has taken the class, I appreciate the college credit it provided, but when I compare it to the curriculum of my animal science courses in college, I realize how unprepared I was. I can’t help but wish I had the opportunity to take a veterinary-focused class in high school, and I know many other students share that thought.
If OCHS added an Intro to Animal Health class, it would offer something unique and desirable, making our high school the only one in Clackamas County with a veterinary science course. This could attract more students to our school, which would be good for the district because more enrollment can lead to more funding, expanded programs, and greater opportunities for all students.
In conclusion, with veterinary careers in high demand, adding Intro to Animal Health to our school would benefit not only students interested in animal science, but also benefit the community by preparing future professionals to meet this growing need.
In today’s society where mental and emotional health issues are plaguing many people’s everyday lives, information about these struggles are more important now than ever. About 1 in 5 people are struggling with mental health issues, and many of them don’t know how to properly handle and live with those struggles. This is why it’s important for schools to teach a course on mental and emotional wellbeing so the severity of which these issues can affect people’s lives is lessened with the proper knowledge.
Since 2010, the youth mental health crisis has only been worsening as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thought have become more common.
In a 2022 study by the Nation Institute of Health, the rise of mental health struggles for students skyrocketed in 2020 with the mandatory social distancing and the introduction of remote learning, greatly affecting work habits and social life at a time in life where those are crucial for a person’s development.
Students eventually became accustomed to this new way of life, only to quickly be thrown back into school building and have to learn it all over again. This instability only added to the struggle students already face, and many are still trying to adapt. Students’ grades have significantly declined in the last year, absence rates have gone up, with many students being absent for nearly 10% of all school days, and overall classroom engagement is at a low point.
This is where a mandatory class for mental health would come in, ensuring that students learn what can cause their stress and how it can negatively impact our lives, and as well as learn healthy ways to manage their stress, find resources for counseling if they should need them, and extra support with their other classes.
Raising awareness on the mental health struggle would help erode this harmful stigma surrounding it that keeps those struggling in silence isolated. Working towards an environment of empathy and understanding in schools is the foundation of encouraging students to do their best in and out of the classroom.
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