If we made school fun, students would WANT to go to school. That’s what we need to do!

Um… no… it really isn’t.

First of all, ask any student… it already IS “kinda” fun… not JUST the socializing with friends and elective classes… All of it. When they can admit it to themselves, they like reading stories they wouldn’t have read on their own, learning how to solve problems, hearing about history, performing experiments… There’s something about learning that is inherently fun.

Making it all games and projects and choose your own adventure limits students’ abilities to learn the basics…

Ohhhhh… and here’s an interesting fact… some of them don’t like that AT ALL. They would RATHER get a book and a worksheet and explore and learn on their own. They HATE the creative “engaging and inspiring” experiences.(The only thing I liked about high school–which I HATED–were the days that I got to work in isolation.)

Secondly, for anyone who thinks we even COULD make students like school all the time, you know nothing about teenage nature… (or human nature for that matter) Ever go to Disneyland or Sea World with your fourteen year old? Ever try to do it for five days a week for six weeks in a row? It doesn’t matter how “engaging and inspiring” the experience is… There will come a point that they don’t want to do it. They will cry and stamp and eye roll and insist that they’d rather be feeding their Black Ops addiction or zoning out completely in front of Netflix… It doesn’t matter HOW cool what you’re doing is… they won’t ALWAYS want to do it.

Thirdly, that’s ok. I love my job… I mean I CRAZY love my job. It’s so much fun. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do… well, anything other than sit on the bed and watch reruns of Judge Judy… or stare at the wall and do absolutely nothing… or go to Vegas or Mexico… or just about ANYTHING other than go to work. I know WHY I go to my job. I find my job fulfilling, but so much fun I WANT to go… ehhhhhh….

Kids get that, too… Most of them don’t really “hate school.” They understand why they’re going. They get the implications. What they hate is the fact that they have to do something.

It means that parents and government need to back off and stop trying to be the ones to fix education.  Government and parents (and even administrators).. we appreciate your support… we truly, truly do… but what you think about education really doesn’t matter that much. Harsh? Maybe… but I don’t remember the last time a neurosurgeon asked a Grey’s Anatomy fan the best way to approach a brain tumor. (I know that the major difference is that people with the brain tumors get to pay their doctor… and choose their doctor, and that EVERYONE pays the teachers… I’m not quite sure what to do about that issue. I don’t have it ALL figured out…)

Educational professionals… realize that you ARE, in fact, PROFESSIONALS. You don’t need other people to tell you how to do your job. (You KNOW that Finland does it right by the way they treat their students AND the way they treat their teachers.) You research, adapt, collaborate, change CONSTANTLY because you are professionals. You are willing to try new things when you can tell how they will work for your clients. You are the expert in your field. Be willing to use your ethos to do what’s right for your kids and stand up for the things that are wrong.

I had a conversation with a parent the other day who was telling me all of these things about HER daughter. (She has three kids). I finally interrupted her and said “I have had nothing but 15-18 year old students for 22 years. I have had 150 of them per year. I know how you feel about what you think is best for your daughter, but I really have more experience with this particular situation than you do. I’m going to handle it my way.”

I said it kindly. It probably helpd that I had her other two children as well and they turned out okay. :-)… She eventually told me that I was probably right and she was too close to the situation.

You need to trust yourself, professionals. I’m not saying the educational system isn’t broken. I’m saying it IS. But I’m also saying that it is OUR job to fix it…

Do what’s right.

It won’t always be fun.