We had a superintendent several years ago who wanted cookie cutter students, cookie cutter teachers, and cookie cutter buildings. Everything from instructional delivery to minimalist classrooms to pacing…the same. Our school system was treated as a business. Our people were treated as human capital. The classrooms which once fostered creativity slowly became barren of original thinking. On this Sunday, I am reminded that it is our uniqueness which makes us human. Now, uniqueness is not code for alternative lifestyles – let me clear about that up front. What I am saying is that God made us to be unique creations. He meant for us to be different. I think he delights in that.
We are foreigners. Even more, we are exiles. We are puzzles pieces which don’t fit. And man, that’s ok. But when we try to build school systems which are test score focused, we are 100% trying to put people into a worldly mold. And folks, they just don’t fit. They aren’t meant to fit. I urge you to fight the good fight and renounce such practices. It is wrong.
Sure, people will think you are crazy. Well, if that happens, welcome to the family of foreigners and exiles who also have forsaken those practices.
I thought about this the other day. I think God wants us to enjoy his creation. We take our kids to the beach, the mountains, the zoo, museums, parks, hiking trails, fishing, and travel. Why do we do that? We want them to enjoy life fully, to experience this world that we live in. We also want to spend time with them free of the world’s pull. Well, where did that desire as a parent(to show our kids this world) come from? I believe some aspects of that come from God Almighty. He wants us to enjoy his creation. He wants us to work, but he made some great stuff which he wants us to humbly take pleasure in. I think it pleases him for us to enjoy it. “Come look at this,” he beckons.
We are living in God’s classroom. No walls. No chairs. No set hours. Just a “come and see” approach.
Really, this is where I want to go with this. Folks, there are going to be young men and women in your classroom who just don’t fit the mold for any number of reasons. Walk gently. Don’t baby them, but walk gently. It ain’t easy being an exile. Like foreigners in a strange land, they may not speak the language of your classrooms quite yet. Now, I am not saying we need to let kid be furbies or not be expected to follow the rules – that isn’t my angle.
You are going to have kids who walk into our classroom with some amazing gifts. Some might be great with directions. As in, you could drop them in the middle of the woods 300 miles from civilization, and they would find their way back home with just a single, printed map. Others might be a whiz on a sewing machine. Still others might be able to sing, play an instrument beautifully, or paint a sunset. Maybe some will be able to fix an engine as if they are just breathing air. Others might be able to trade stocks or design buildings. Some might have the gift of healing(ever seen a teacher with this gift?…amazing to see).
When we force kids into data driven instruction, our classrooms become graveyards for those gifts. Yes, those gifts are extinguished. Do we really want that to be our legacy as educators?
The story goes that a somewhat backwards young man showed up in a classroom. He wasn’t overly communicative. He didn’t speak until he was three. Early on, he tended to avoid other children. He had a bit of a temper. He didn’t mesh well with rote and rigid, cookie cutter instruction. He was problem solver, but he needed freedom for his mind to grow. At the age of 15, he had enough. He dropped out! He took the entrance exam for the Polytechnic Institute of Zurich…and failed. However, he showed marked proficiency in mathematics and physics. He was allowed to enroll. A brief lifetime of not fitting into the rigid system of education, ended with his admittance. The rest his history. His theories on relativity would come to underpin modern physics. He would be asked to be the first President of Israel(he declined). His name was Albert Einstein. Freaking, Albert Einstein! Take some time and just let that sink in.
Steve Jobs dropped out of college after six months. He simply had trouble connecting with the curriculum. He then took a calligraphy class of all things. He learned how to vary the spacing of letters. That would eventually be programmed into the Mac, and might even be a factor in what you see on your screen right now if you are reading on IOS. Non-traditional learning (calligraphy) was a factor in the design of the Mac.
Creative, but inattentive, Walt Disney would drop out of school. He never graduated from high school. When in elementary school, he was placed in a seat near the back door. He spent a lot of his time drawing. He was, however, a very adept businessman. He had is own morning and evening paper route. But school was struggle. At one point he was told in front of his classmates that he wouldn’t amount to anything. Well, you know the rest of that story.
How many students like Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, and Steve Jobs are railing internally in our classrooms, because their learning styles or gifts don’t fit the current “mission” of public schools? Rigidity in curricular designs extinguishes flames. It stifles learning. Worse, I firmly believe it forces many to abandon their dreams for lesser aspirations.
And here comes the hard truth. What happens to the creatives in our classrooms who just don’t fit, and aren’t fortunate enough to catch a break? They suffer. Some are irreparably harmed. The real consequence is that they don’t find a place in school – ever. And they leave our school systems believing they are just lonely misfit toys, incapable of contributing to society. They are often ostracized. What was intended to break the colt, broke their spirit. Tragedy is what often ensues.
So let’s ask the question, “What if we dared to be different?’ What if we dared to build classrooms and school environments where future Walt Disneys, Steve Jobs, and Albert Einsteins would thrive? What if we nurtured their thinking instead of forcing it to heel? What if we dared to hire people(lots of them) who enhanced the educational process instead of impeding it? What if we dared to throw the whole dang system in the dumpster and rebuild it in a way that fits 21st century learning?”
Well for starters, the current establishment is going to absolutely hate you. Nobody said it was going to be easy leading a revolution which will redefine the educational process. You will be mocked. They will attempt to question your character. That’s ok. It hated them too. Just don’t forget your mission once you start the job. If we can build classrooms which allow children to discover and develop their unique, God-given gifts, then we have won. And once you have won, keep on winning.
Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings. ~ Walt Disney
Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. ~ Steve Jobs
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. ~ Steve Jobs
Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. ~ Albert Einstein
I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. ~ Albert Einstein
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. ~ God
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