Have you ever asked your students why they think they’re attending school? Try it. You’ll get some interesting answers. Yesterday I posed this question to one of my classes, curious what their responses might be. I found my students had great scripted answers, such as “to get an education” or “to make my parents proud.” I even received a few “because its the law.” Interestingly though, as we dug deeper into these responses few students could explain why attending school today is important to their future goals.
This is something I’ve been wrestling with for quite a while. How do we convince our students education is important and their academic success directly correlates to post-high school and career goals? I feel like its one of the “pink elephants” in the room we aren’t addressing. We use a variety of strategies and technology to keep our students engaged, but we seem to never really answer the question, “Why are we here?” How long can we keep kids engaged with not answering this question? If middle and high school students better understood the path they were on would they change their behavior and feelings towards school? Our students are in many ways our customers, but have we helped them understand why they should be shopping at our store?
These are just some questions flowing through my mind. In a few weeks the semester will end and I will receive a new crop of students. I’d like to start the spring semester off answering these questions with some sort of student-focused, inquiry-based activity, but I’m still not sure how I will do it. Have you answered this questions for your students? How did you answer it? What was the response? Suggestions?
Joe
Photo: i Spy by Foreversouls on Flickr
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I think that we as educators do not articulate well the reason that education is important especially when talking to low income parents. In Michigan, many blue collar workers didn’t graduate from high school and managed to get high paying union jobs. Their children have told me, “My dad didn’t graduate and he ‘s done really well, co why should I graduate.” Often their parents believe the same thing. unless we can get this attitude to change, I doubt we’ll make much headway.
I have wanted to ask my students this question for a while but i haven’t had the guts. you inspired me to ask. so I gave my students this as part of their weekly blogging assignment <a href=”http://kchijefferson.edublogs.org” Mrs. Chi’s Student blogs .
Not all responded, but most did. Their unedited responses are posted on their individual blogs. I also blogged on this on my <a href=”http://kchichester.edublogs.org” personal blog..
I’ve asked this question to students before and the answers practically made me quit. It definitely made me question what I do (but on a more positive note it made me improve as a teacher). One response I received that I don’t think is listed here is that school helps the brain develop and that will lead to better performance in whatever you do later in life. I was pretty pleased with that response.
Whenever possible I try to design activities that are flexible and allow students to construct their own learning agendas. Am I very successful at doing that? Doubtful. But, I’m trying!
As far as activities, maybe have the students brainstorm all the ways they benefit from school and all the ways they don’t. See which list is longer. Follow that with the best question of all, “How can we make school better?”
I asked my AVID students that question about a month ago because if they can’t answer that question then they shouldn’t be in AVID. It was literally like pulling teeth to get there answers, but some honest ones that came forth were “it’s better than being at home,” “I think school will make it harder to become homeless,” and “at least at school I can use a computer.” After yesterday’s “professional development” I feel like teachers in general see school as a mean of imparting wisdom to students, but most of what is done seems to be a useless in this day and age. In talking with someone this morning I know ext semester I am going to try the model of assigning students a topic to research and rather than doing any direct instruction I am going to teach them how to use the tools available. We’ll see if it crashes and burns!
Yes, unfortunately “to score well on the CST” seems to be a common answer or at least mind set among educators right now. The stakes are so high, especially for teachers who teach math and language arts. The only educators who have the opportunity to ask this question are the ones who aren’t teaching these subjects. Ironically, while these scores are immensely important for teachers and school officials, they hold little or no value for students.
The “elephant” is there, but will be ignored by the current structure, who believes the real reason to attend school is to pass the CST and qualify for a college they can’t afford to attend, or, worse, is limiting enrollment due to budget cuts.
The question, “why are we here” is a dangerous one to the current structure, but a completely relevant one to the revolution that’s coming. in the years ahead, schools will face increasing competition from e-learning and computer-based learning companies that will offer courses and services that schools are unable or unwilling to offer. Schools are the next GM.
Brian