Quite often my Sundays are punctuated by email messages from members of the LREI community forwarding articles from the weekend’s news concerning educational or social issues. I appreciate receiving these links as I may not have seen the pieces being referred to me and the variety of articles I receive let us know what families in the community are reading and thinking.
This weekend I received links to two articles in roughly equal numbers. One was Sunday’s column by Thomas Friedman in the NY Times, Need a Job? Invent It. The article focuses on the work of Tony Wagner, author of a number of pieces dealing with school change and innovation for a changing world/workplace. Interesting ideas, many of which feel familiar to LREI families; some thoughts on balancing learning specific skills and content with fostering a student’s motivation, developing a willingness to take risks and ability to draw upon all that has been learned in order to address unfamiliar situations. It is certainly worth reading this piece and if you search a little there is more information on-line about Wagner’s ideas (or click on his name above.)
The second piece that was sent to me this weekend was also from the NY Times—A Modest Proposal for More Back-Stabbing in Preschool, by Carina Chocano. While clearly tongue in cheek, there are important points made and questions asked here, as well, with several connections to the first article—how well are we preparing our students for the “real world” and for “real worlds” to come, more focus on competition and less on the “humanistic and democratic” values, it is fine to acknowledge that playing fields are not now, nor may never be, level, etc. The response to this should be to help students to develop the skills and habits of mind, as Tony Wagner argues, that will allow them to respond to what comes their way. I would, however, comment that the community/diversity focus of our school and it seems of the author’s “play-based, shoe-optional, sugar-free preschool” are not just nice add-ons. These areas of focus allow students to develop skills that are essential for success in the world for which Ms. Chocano is concerned her daughter may be unprepared.
I think that both authors would agree that persistence, resilience, developing the ability to weather hard times and failures and less of a focus on our children always being happy and affirmed will serve them well in an uncertain future. A little struggle will go a long way towards preparing our children for the challenges to come.
Thanks to those who sent these articles my way and keep them coming!