cc licensed flickr photo shared by GioPhotos
Imagine a world where students walk into the classroom, at any given age, and they are eager to learn. We know that it is impossible for students to enter the room without different backgrounds, experiences, and advantages/disadvantages in their lives. We know that kids do not live in the same situations, nor will they ever. Putting those things aside (even though they are enormous), let’s pretend we are starting the year with a blank slate.
Suppose we have one of the best teachers in place in our school. She works hard to get to know the kids, understand their needs, and by some miracle, is able to give them equal time. The kids are well rested, fed, and are dedicated to whatever the curriculum throws their way. (Again, not realistic as we always work with our kids no matter how they come to school.)
With all of these scenarios in place, there seems to be two ways that things can go.
- Students will all have a total understanding of the curriculum, and we work until everyone is at the same level, or…
- Students all improve an equal amount.
Here is the issue with both of these scenarios.
If we have each student work until they have a full understanding of the curriculum, how are we pushing our strongest academic students? Once they have a full understanding of the curriculum (which for some would be in a short time), how do we push them further? We need to give opportunities to our strongest (academic) students and give them the opportunity to flourish beyond the confines of the curriculum.
Now with the second scenario, although (in my mind) more desirable, in our current school culture, there will still be a “worst” student. If everyone does a fantastic job in their own learning, and improves significantly, our culture still says that someone has to be the “best” and someone the “worst”. If you are at the bottom of that heap, ideally after all of your hard work and dedication, you still come out as the “worst” student in class, is this something that is going to give you the inspiration to continuously learn?
The shift that has to happen in schools is that we give all of our students not only the opportunity to reach their potentials, but we also help them find their passions and strengths. No individual is better than a group, but the best teams empower people to have a role in joint success. In the best work cultures, we tap into the individuality of each person and look for ways for them to contribute.
Many critics of this type of approach say that it is “soft” or that competition is what drives us as humans. Here is my own confession: competition is something that drives me as well. In our “real world” I want to do as well as possible in my own job, and I want to know that we are creating innovative learning environments for our students. What I learned early in my career in education is that I can never do better alone than I can with a group. This is how I will always do my best. In our high-stakes world, there are individuals who work alone and compete with one another, but I know that in the long run they would do better if they had the opportunity to bring individuals onto their team and empower them in the process.
Look at Michael Jordan. He was (is) known as one of the most competitive people on the planet yet he did not find team success (which he valued over his MVP trophies) until Phil Jackson worked to build a team that was dependent on all of his players in playing a role. Although one of Michael Jordan’s most famous shots was his last with the Bulls, that won them their sixth team championship, you will also see highlights of John Paxson and Steve Kerr hitting three pointers to lift their team to championships as well. I am guessing that many of you reading this blog do not even know who those people are, yet they played a crucial role in the competitive success of a team. Collaboration and competition can go hand in hand, but it is only those leaders that empower people and find the ways that they can contribute, who achieve the highest success. Yes Michael Jordan is considered to be one of the best basketball players of all time, but it was not until his team won championships that this happened (see Lebron James).
We are seeing a shift in the culture of our schools. The thought that we all improve, yet someone still has to be designated as the “worst” (I know we don’t give out the award, but you don’t think kids compare report cards?) is not desirable. Do students struggle with certain topics? Of course they do, and they recognize this just as we do. As they focus on that with which they struggle, their confidence erodes to the point where they possibly check out of school altogether. We must help students use their strengths so that they are successful in life, not just in school.
This is not just true for our students that struggle academically. The belief that if a student does well in school, it will automatically relate to success in life, is false. I have seen many students, and even athletes, at the top of their respective classes/teams, never translate into something that they would consider success. Some people are just naturally talented at things (Good Will Hunting anyone?), even though it is really not something they are interested in. They are told because they are smart, or talented, that they are going to do some amazing things. We should really be asking them, “Do you love what you are doing?”, and help them find their strength.
There is one question that keeps sticking in my head as an educator and I think that it is important that all schools think about this:
If we are only teaching the curriculum to our students, aren’t we failing them?
