Education: WHAT now?

Education is change.  A change of a student's knowledge of information and a subject, knowledge of one's self as a person and a learner, and a change of how one sees oneself in the world.

The old saying "the only constant is change" seems to be at odds with the idea that people fear change, that people don't like change.  It was pointed out to me this summer at a leadership institute that people love change.  They are always looking to make changes to their lives, whether it be in their homes (the couch is looking a little worn, should we put in a new kitchen floor), in the workplace (when is the next raise, increase in responsibilities, promotion), and leisure (new books, the next big game, progress in a hobby).  It's change that is forced on people, either through someone else's choices (i.e., undesired change at work, a landlord decides to raise the rent) or other forces, like someone falling ill or becoming the victim of an accident, that is disliked and feared.

Education is change.  Teachers are agents of change.  Teachers prepare students for the coming years, for college and beyond, so that they can navigate the world around them.

Students may resist change (i.e., learning), either because they don't understand why it is necessary, they're already going through a lot of change (puberty and adolescence, social change among friends, turmoil at home), or because the change is too hard for them. In some cases, students have developed negative associations with learning and need to break that association, to unlearn that education isn't worthwhile.

There are two main active strategies an educator can pursue.  One, you can force change on them, focusing on THE WHAT.  Examples of this are "You need to know this for the SAT," "You will need this information/class/skill to gain admission into college," and the classic "You'll use this in the 'Real World.'" Some of that (SAT, ACT, high school transcripts) is a real part of the educational system.  THE WHAT is so ingrained into people that we sometimes joke about it.  Who hasn't heard the half-joking response "[I'm making you do this because] it builds character"?  THE WHAT is a straightforward strategy, doesn't take much time, and often shuts down further questions.  Sometimes a student, asking why they have to learn something, will hear the response "Trust me."  Sometimes this is well-meant, from a teacher that has built up credibility with a class.  It's important that the teacher follow up afterwards to make the connection clear, so that the student-teacher trust is maintained.

The second strategy: get them to buy into the change: THE WHY.  Student ask for this all the time: The want to know WHY!  Examples of THE WHY are: "This will help you better understand the world you're growing up into," "I believe you could really succeed at this (nothing breeds interest like success!)," "You will need these skills for this field you are interesting in going into," and the truly intrinsic "Look at this, isn't it interesting for its own sake?"  THE WHY takes more time.  It may need frequent scheduled discussion and reinforcement.  THE WHY may need a personal conversation.  THE WHY may require that a teacher to put in significant effort to work with a student with whom they wouldn't naturally develop a connection.

The WHY is longer lasting.  THE WHY may pique curiosity.  THE WHY may help students become more optimistic about the future.  If students are more tuned into the WHY, they will make better choices about studying habits, which courses to take in the future, which colleges to apply to, and even which field to go into as a profession.  Students who concentrate on THE WHAT may find themselves at a college, or worse, in a job, and asking "WHAT now?"  Now THAT would be a true failure of education.

The Optimistic Child

I recently started reading "The Optimistic Child" by Martin Seligman after hearing a recommendation at an institute I attended last summer.  I was interested for a few reasons.  One, I am definitely an optimist.  Two, not every single one of the people I have worked with were all optimists (shocking!).  Three, as a parent, I want to help my child develop a positive view of the world and the opportunities available to everyone in good times and bad.  Here's what I didn't expect:

How closely related the ideas in this book were to working successfully with students.  For example, focusing on the behavior, not the person.  I.e., instead of saying (and thinking!) "You are selfish," saying "You need to share more."  Instead of "This is a mess!  You are a total slob!", focusing on "This room is a mess!" BUT "You need to start picking up after yourself."  In the classroom this is present in not encouraging the idea of "I got a C in Math, I'm just not a Math person," but "I didn't do as well on that test, maybe I need to ask for more help/I need to identify what it is that I need to focus on in order to do better next time."

It is important to note that the author is not saying that being optimistic is a cure for depression, which can be related to body chemistry, debilitating, and part of a lifelong struggle to live a healthy, rewarding life.  What the author seeks to clarify is that we can give our children experiences that help them face difficulty, persevere, and solve problems.  We can give them skills that can help a person avoid triggers and spirals that can lead to depression.

The author suggest that instead of denying reality (what you are experiencing isn't real, it doesn't hurt your feelings, it isn't difficult), validate the child's disappointment and allow them to have those feelings - as much as you might want to simply make them vanish!  Help a child understand that effort and practice often compensate for a lack of natural ability or physicality.  Don't simply do something for a child without giving them a chance to try it again and let them achieve success, even if it's a small one.

And this is just the first chapter...I am looking forward to delving deeper into this book!