We train kids to deal with teachers in a certain way: Find out what they want, and do that, just barely, because there are other things to work on. Figure out how to say back exactly what they want to hear, with the least amount of effort, and you are a ‘good student.’
We train employees to deal with bosses in a certain way: Find out what they want, and do that, just barely, because there are other things to do. Figure out how to do exactly what they want, with the least amount of effort, and the last risk of failure and you are a ‘good worker.’
Good enough is not good enough!
So many things about the structure of our schools today promote this… promote the next generation of worker bees who drone on and do ‘what needs to be done’ instead of ‘what’s possible’.
How do we UN-standardize our schools?
It starts with the smallest of points…
“A paragraph ‘needs’ to have 5 sentences.”
… Which produces a class full of mediocre 5 sentence paragraphs.
To the biggest of points…
“I can’t“
… Whether this is a response from a teacher or a student.
As Seth says at the end of his post: “The opportunity of our age is to get out of this boss as teacher as taskmaster as limiter mindset…”
What are our students capable of if we foster their creativity and get tests and curriculum and scheduled blocks and ‘busywork due the next day’ out of the way?
How do we move beyond educators as taskmasters?
Good enough is not good enough!
Hear, hear! ‘Good enough’ robs our youth of their potential and robs society of growth and discovery. Let’s hope it’s not so very long before the majority see the power in nurturing students in becoming creators, collaborators and communicators with the ability and commitment to effect change for the better.