I have written, recently, about James C. Hunter’s “3 F’s of change”, Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs, and subjects relating to education. Today, I continue.
Education is important to me, as an educator, of course. After all, it pays the bills (to some extent). But my passion for education runs deeper than vocation. I see education as a fundamental societal need. This is why I am often critical and emotional about education and educators. If education is the backbone of our society, teachers are the muscles that support the back. As my chiropractic friends would agree, when the spine is out of alignment, it affects the health of the body and the pain radiates throughout.
Our approach to education is in need of an adjustment. We are long overdue at the chiropractor.
We seem to have forgotten the role of education. Schooling, from Kindergarten to University, tends to focus on meeting a list of requirements on the path to a diploma rather than meeting a greater societal role. We keep statistics on graduation rates, but we fail to evaluate the quality of the graduate. As students, we see a list of courses required to complete a degree. As parents, we see a price tag on a diploma. As educators, we see a need to fill classrooms and preserve tenure-track positions. Few ever really examine the question of “what are we trying to accomplish here?”
It is education—real education—that advances societies. I am blown away by the amount of knowledge we have gained in my lifetime. This came from having arguably the best educational system in the world and sharing the knowledge. Somewhere along the way, though, we have lost our way. We need to get back on track.
Universities should not be advanced vocational training schools. (Nor should it be expected that every get a college degree.) They should not be places where faculty merely pass on information. Information is now available at the stroke of a key on a computer. Universities need to be a place where current ideas are challenged and understanding of the Universe is advanced. It is no place for labels and confined thinking. It is a place for opportunity. It is not where we train for jobs, but where we inspire job creators.
We were with family friends recently and met two friends of the eldest son who will be attending the University at which I teach. Neither was quite sure of what his major would be. They are not likely to end up in one of my courses, but, nevertheless, my thoughts were led to the experience they are likely to have and the responsibility that I and my colleagues have to prepare them. These were two bright young men who will do quite well, whatever path their education takes. There are many, however, who are less prepared for college—financially and academically. These are told they need a college degree, but don’t quite know why. They will select a major, because it seems interesting, or because it can lead to a high-paying job (not considering that tens of thousands of high school graduates are also seeking that degree in pursuit of that high-paying job that in four years may very well be saturated and thus highly competitive). They will see an advisor and, in too many cases, never discuss what they are passionate about or why they are in the major. They will receive a list of courses and attempt to complete the list in four years. It is quite possible that the faculty member, as well as the student, has never considered why the student needs to take the courses on the list.
I am big fan of a liberal education. Education must broaden the student’s world and provide the necessary skills to make an impact on the world. I have enjoyed my 9-year-old daughter’s recent interest in the television show, Girl Meets World. An extension of the classic, Boy Meets World, the grown Cory Matthews has taken the torch from Mr. Feeney and is bringing life lessons to his history class. To me, this is education at its finest. History is more than names and dates. It and all disciplines of education (there are even episodes where the science teacher, and even the PE teacher, teach life lessons) are meant to enlighten and expand one’s view of the Universe.
Education has somehow lost its ability to create a hunger for knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Perhaps, standardized teaching receives much of the blame. Maybe we have just lost sight of our purpose as educators. Maybe it is the parents. Whoever or whatever the cause, we need to renew the fascination and the desire to explore and conquer the unknown. We need to let students struggle and learn that they can accomplish whatever they put their mind to doing. We need to worry less about self-esteem and more about self-efficacy. We need to heat up the Bunsen burners under our young and awaken their creativity and inquiry.
Personally, I would love to hear students shift away from asking “Will this be on the test?” toward asking “How will I use this in my life?” When we can make this shift, and make it early in the education system, we will see a great change for the better in our society!
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!