A couple years ago I was chagrined when a local radio announcer in another town where I was superintendent announced that he was sad to report kids “had to go to school today” because the snow storm that had been predicted did not materialize. I realize he was only making a joke, but I get really hooked when media folks, parents, and even sometimes folks who work in schools make comments that imply that going to school is a negative, a bad thing, almost a punishment. Since when is school torture? Why aren’t the news people saying, “Good news, kids, no snow today so you get to go to school!” Okay, maybe that is too much to ask for, but why does our society just assume going to school is tedious and boring? For a lot of kids school is a great experience, right?
But if I were to be truthful I‘d have to admit that for a fair number of kids, going to school isn’t the glorious experience we’d like it to be. The $64,000 question, then, is why? Why are the same children who are thrilled to come to school at six years old at risk of becoming burned out learners at 16? Why do students so often take only the minimum requirements needed to graduate? Why do some members of our community seem to not respect the teaching profession any more?
Of course, the answers to those questions are probably a lot more complicated than can be identified here. I suspect some of our problems are actually public perceptions borne from the media which so often sensationalizes the very small percentage of immoral or incompetent educators who give us all a black eye. Also, everyone has gone to school at one time or another, so everyone thinks they are familiar with how education works. At the same time, I think we educators haven’t always done as good a job as we might have “connecting the dots” for kids so they see the relationship between what they are learning and the “real world”. Being in school, therefore, just doesn’t seem relevant for far too many kids. Lack of relevancy leads to boredom, and boredom causes apathy and ultimately a bad schooling experience.
For the past several years I have come to believe there is another important piece missing if education is to rise to the level of respect it deserves: We must create schools of joy. Coming to school should be fun, it must be challenging (there is great satisfaction in doing something hard) and, yes, it needs to make sense for kids. Today’s students see more sights and sounds and colors and smells just going to McDonalds for a burger than many of us “old folks” experienced in our whole adolescence. Our schools must first reflect the techno-rich world in which our children are growing up. At the same time, school houses must be exhilarating places where kids are challenged, where we teach exploration rather than rote, and where classrooms are each day filled the possibilities of learning rather than focusing on just following the rules.
When I visit schools my happiest moments come when I see classrooms filled with laughter, with high expectations, and with relevancy. I get absolutely thrilled when I see classrooms become places where kids are asked to think beyond the “who” and “what” and are engaged in the ”why” and the “what does this mean?” questions. These are the classrooms where there is an air of excitement and wonder about what’s going to happen next. I so respect those teachers who have high expectations for kids and who with a happy heart accept their role in helping kids meet those expectations. When classrooms have these attributes, when the whole campus buys into the notion of learning as an exciting journey and actually lives that expectation, then we begin to truly see schools of joy.
By the way, schools of joy aren’t just for the kids. School ought to be joyous places for the adults who work there as well. Working in a positive school where colleagues hold each other to high expectations and where we all accept the responsibility to lift each other up professionally and emotionally helps to create the sense of family that is so critical to a joyous school.
I know we can consistently create schools of joy because I have seen it done. They do, in fact, exist. I have witnessed schools where the adults are positive, life-long learners who can’t wait to teach whoever comes through their doors, places where kids see why they are learning and are challenged to be better than they ever thought they could be. No classroom is joyous every day; I get that. But every Roseburg classroom and every one of our twelve schools should strive to be joyous each and every time children walk through our doors. Don’t the adult who work there and the kids whose futures live there deserve that?
We’ll talk again,
Larry
December 8, 2009 at 10:32 pm |
Excellent. It is so true. It is what younger children know and then somehow forget–learning is joyful,exciting and challenging. Great blog.
January 2, 2010 at 1:29 am |
Just to let you know Mr. Parsons, I was always one of those kids who didn’t mind missing a day or two of school for whatever reason! That said – I just thought I’d let you know, my kids, who both attend Jo Lane Middle School absolutely love school! When my husband or I suggest that they miss a day because they aren’t feeling well or even for an important event they always say “No! I don’t want to miss it!” My daughter is a straight A student who also loves the social aspect, and my son is more of an average student who likes his teachers and seeing his friends. I commend Mr. Freeman for such a possitive atmosphere there, and I would also say to you: keep up the good work!