Perspective on Education

"The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values."

-- William Inge

Boredom's Cure

"Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true."

-- William Inge

When Teens Argue...

If you have a teenage daughter, who comes with complications, as they sometimes do, this is for you.

I just want to encourage you to hang in there. Here's something I learned in the classroom: It was suggested, when I was a teacher, that there are times when we just don't need to continue the conversation with a student.

Photo Credit: queenbchronicles.blogspot.com

So, for example, when a student is arguing about why she has to do or learn something and what value it is, remember -- it takes two to argue, so maybe silence will save your sanity and deescalate the situation --- eventually. You can simply say something like, "I understand your frustration." And only that. The statement is true and very empathetic. Each time she presents a question or argument in an effort to stall, delay, or avoid doing what she has to do, then she can no longer use you to help her stonewall her responsibilities. And you no longer have to work at having the right answer that will make her go, "Oh, thanks, Mom! I never thought of it that way before. Now I can see more clearly, and I'll get right to the task at hand!"

Photo Credit: familyfront.com

Might help. Might not.

Rainy Day Fun or Weather Unit Treats

Here's a cute idea for fun cupcakes to brighten a rainy day or highlight your study of precipitation, the water cycle, or weather. Connect it to literature, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and serve meatballs for lunch. Follow the link for the cupcake directions. Another good book on the water cycle would be The Magic School Bus Wet All Over.

http://bakeitinacake.com/post/3446888466/rainy-day-cupcakes-i-couldnt-bake-real-rain-into

Here is a good resource link: Weather Wiz Kids for more weather information, games, and activities.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

And more...create a Cloud in a Jar: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/hnl/kids/activities.php

Do you have a favorite kind of cloud or weather?

The Aim of Education

Dean William Ralph Inge said, "The aim of education is the knowledge not of facts but of values." This is one of my favorite quotes about education. I am inspired and refreshed again each time I come across it.

Find Yourself? Or Lose Yourself?

So, how do we teach kids what they need to UNDERSTAND, not just what they need to KNOW? Here is a thought-provoking little article that got me thinking about that again. It is from Newser and the link is: http://www.newser.com/story/119794/david-brooks-sorry-grads-weve-taught-you-all-wrong.html

Sorry, Grads: We've Taught You All Wrong

As another class graduates from colleges across America, David Brooks reflects on a generation “ill served by their elders”: We haven’t given them the skills to “navigate” an unpredictable world. “This year’s graduates are members of the most supervised generation in American history,” Brooks notes in the New York Times. “Through their childhoods and teenage years, they have been monitored, tutored, coached and honed to an unprecedented degree.” Problem is, “upon graduation they will enter a world that is unprecedentedly wide open and unstructured.” On top of that, they’ve been doused in “baby-boomer theology:” “Follow your passion, chart your own course.” But actually, adulthood is about “finding serious things to tie yourself down to.” Fact is, “most successful young people don’t look inside and then plan a life. They look outside and find a problem, which summons their life,” whether it’s a disease to cure or a bad boss to compensate for. The self isn’t necessarily “the center of life;” instead, “the tasks of a life are at the center.” In other words, “the purpose in life is not to find yourself. It’s to lose yourself.” By Matt Cantor

Jesus encouraged a similar truth.

The Focus of Teaching & Education Reform

I am currently reading another book on education. With the heart of a student advocate, I am always interested in and often engaged in reading and reflecting on the current traditional public school social system, what works, what doesn't, the pressures, the pain, and the promise. I am currently slowly reading Students on the Margins: Education, Stories, Dignity, by Jaylynne N. Hutchinson.

This got my attention: "If we were to measure our education proposals against how well the dignity of all our children might be sustained or helped to flourish, perhaps our schools would look different indeed. And perhaps teachers would finally be able to act upon the desires and intents that brought them to teaching in the first place." [page xii]

From the back of the book: "The focus on teaching is not on what we teach or how we test but, more fundamentally, on the quality of relationships, according to [the author]. Amid much talk of educational reform that focuses on pedagogy, curriculum, and policy, Hutchinson attests that when we don't pay attention to student's personal stories, students can become marginalized from the process of learning...Using story as a metaphor for paying attention to the meaning children create in their lives...."

I have seen this to be true in my classroom, the research I've seen, and other educational experiences. I am looking forward to reading further and seeing what the author has to say.

This book was published in 1999. The dilemma seems still so current. I often wonder why we are not further along on this.

For further information on the book, click here:
http://amzn.com/0791441660