If You Could Go Back to School, What Would Be Worth Learning?

    You've made it to adulthood. Congrats! Look at you "adulting" in the real world. You're managing a career, a family, a household...I hope that you are finding happiness and success as you reflect on this masterpiece of a life you've created. And now you want the same or even better for your children, right?

    Let's consider all of the ways our world has changed since we ourselves were children, in elementary, middle, or high school. Now think of all you had to accomplish to get to where you are now. There were certainly a lot of hoops to jump through. Would you say that you were well-prepared for what was ahead? Perhaps there was something different or something more that could've helped you in your educational endeavors.

    "Why do I have to learn this?" That bold, reflective, and honest question from learners can really stop us in our tracks. Do we really want to respond with something about it being on the test or needing to keep up with the standards or because you'll need it for next year? As an educator, I sometimes worry that what I'm teaching may not be the most helpful or meaningful skills my learners need now or in their futures. This thought hit me hard last year while teaching 5th grade math virtually. We were currently working on the standard: CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NBT.B.7 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths...

    So there we were, on Google Meet, an online class full of about 15 learners joining in on their Chromebooks from their bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, even one in his mom's car on his way to a dentist appointment (talk about dedication!). I'm in the middle of the live broadcast, working out a multiplication example with carefully chosen decimal numbers from my own desolate classroom, trying to spread my enthusiasm and excitement through my laptop screen. After a few minutes of careful computation, I get to the final product with an exhaled breath of accomplishment after so many steps. I ask the learners if it all made sense and if they had any questions or comments before trying one on their own. Then, one brave student "unmutes" himself, and with a sly smile on his face, he says, "Hey Mrs. Petre, listen to this: 'Alexa, what's 5.9 times 3.2?'" And all of my joy and sense of pride was washed from my face. The bold question that lingers around the classroom came flashing in front of my face. I thought, "Why should I teach this?" There's a whole chapter dedicated to multiplying decimals, which equates to about 15 instructional days. A robot gave my learner the answer in less than 5 seconds.

    If you are a teacher or a parent, do you ever wonder if our current K-12 curriculum lines up with what we need to be able to do to be a successful and happy adult? Shouldn't there be a connection between what is taught and how it pertains to surviving in the real world? Does being able to multiply a decimal number, memorize the fifty capital cities, or recite the photosynthesis process really prepare us for adulthood? The aforementioned skills are definitely great to know, don't get me wrong. And I personally enjoyed learning about them all when I was a child. But in hindsight, trying to juggle a career, a family, and a home, I do wish I would've been taught more about the application of skills for managing real life and a little less about memorization of facts and processes. In our day to day lives, think about how much we use interpersonal skills, financial management, understanding taxes, insurance, deductibles, conflict resolution skills, cooking and cleaning, organizational skills, physical and mental health and wellness, nutrition, life saving skills, I could go on. But when was the last time you had to define chlorophyll or recall the capital of Arkansas? (It's Little Rock, by the way, I just Googled it on another tab.)

    There is no doubt we must lay the foundation with reading, writing, and arithmetic skills for our learners to be successful. But we must also keep in mind that we all now have answers at our fingertips, as long as we can read them! I don't want to waste precious time with my learners on skills that can be calculated or Google searched in seconds. I want to provide them with meaningful experiences that will prepare them for a happy, successful life. Let's change the dreadful song and dance from "I have to learn this because it's on the test," to a new proud beat: "I get to learn this and I want to learn this because it helps me get to where I want to go in life."