Ready for the Real World Yet?

This week I've been privileged to be part of two wonderful twitter chats.  The first was on Teachers Throwing out Grades (#TTOG) and the second was Middle School Chat ( #mschat.)

Being the time of year it is, the conversations revolved around testing: is it good for students and/or for districts? Does it give good information? How should we prepare students for tests?

During the chats, I got into discussions with two different people, both passionate educators as well, and I'm sure both very good at their job.  Both conversations came back to two central themes.

First was the theme of competition in the classroom.  I am a competitive person.  I play team sports to this day.  I was in little league way before the whole 'everyone gets a trophy' mantra.  I have run track, played hockey, coached and played soccer, and even was on the high school bowling team.  I find value in competition both in building character as well as a tool for building relationships.  There is definitely places for competition in schools - I just don't believe learning is one of those places.

This is not a philosophy for a classroom setting

Education is not and should not be competition.   Learning is not a zero sum (or negative sum) game.  There should not be 'winners' and 'losers'.  If one student succeeds, it shouldn't mean another can not or did not.   Your success shouldn't be based on others' failures.

Those that know me know that I am not a fluffy, cuddly teacher.  I don't give out candy for right answers.  I have a high level of expectations and demand students reach them.  However, I do it with a blanket of emotional safety.  They quickly learn that saying a wrong answer in class will never cause a problem, but laughing at someone for saying a wrong answer will.  We play games in our room, often competitive ones, but the end game is not to find out 'who is the smartest.'  It is to find out 'what do you know?'

My philosophy doesn't revolve around the belief that all students can learn - I have the expectation that all students will learn - and it is my job to make sure it happens.

And there lies the antithesis of the zero-sum philosophy.  Everyone can get an A.  If you don't do an assignment correctly the first time, you have to reflect on what went wrong, re-learn the material, and have another go at it.  Assignments are not one-and-done.  This is how I get them ready for life.

This leads to the other major theme: getting students ready 'for the real world.'  There is competition in real life.  However, in nearly any real life situation the competitor chooses to compete.  Athletes choose to be on a team, employees choose to compete for a higher position.  Students have no choice to compete in the classroom if that is the culture the teacher creates.

True, not all competitors have a choice.

The other situation school needs to get them ready for are real world tests.  They need to have this awareness.  Telling them that they will have to take tests to get a license, get into college, or even qualify for certain jobs and careers is a good thing.  However, I know of no entrance test that is completed over the course of six two-hour periods. I know of no test or assessment that prevents applicants from re-taking it should they not pass the first time.  And yet we put a 12-year-old child through a multi-day test one-shot assessments which could extend two hours (or more with the right IEP accommodations) and under the premise of getting them ready for 'real world' situations?

Are any of these 'real world' skills? Do you want your employee to possess any of them?

Treating a 12-year-old student with the same (or even similar) expectations we have of a 22 year old college graduate, or a 16-year-old young adult,  is not only poor pedagogy, it is downright unjust.

Also , we can't hide behind 'school gets children ready for the real world' and then excuse ourselves out of it when it suits us; never in the "real world" have I ever

• gotten a detention for chewing gum
• had to raise my hand to go to the bathroom
• gotten in trouble for doodling during a meeting

Maybe I'm just not in the real world yet.  

Those are my thoughts - slightly more rant style than I usually blog, but there it is none the less.  I'm hoping to hear from others - with any view points.  I truly value hearing all the arguments. No two schools or classrooms are the same - it takes all types of teachers - and I'm glad there are a diverse pool out there!