Education Utopia or Dystopia?

Our world works based upon competition with other countries. Whether that be through weapons, medicine, or education... countries fight to be the best for their well being and pride. Education holds the most competitive title because all success stems through a solid education.
In The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley, she takes us through three kids journeys through three different countries. This book walks us through Kim's journey in Finland where she watches the teaching profession being treated like it should, and Eric's journey in Korea where a strong hand and fear tactic is practiced, and lastly, Tom's journey in Poland where being wrong isn't shameful but instead an opportunity to learn. These three countries hold many differences yet they all have the highest preforming students in the world. How do they make this happen? How can the U.S. jump on board?

While learning about all of these countries one quickly realizes that there isn't one right way. With this being true, I appreciate aspects from all of the countries, and if I were creating my education utopia, I would use parts of each system.

In my education utopia, I would begin with proper teacher training. I would model Finland's practice and recreate Educations stigma. Teaching is the sole career who truly impacts each and every other career. Teachers teach doctors, engineers, dentists, you name it. So why is that teaching is seen as the easiest major in America? Why do we allow just anyone teach and create our future? In my education utopia, I would make future teachers prove themselves. And I wouldn't do this by enforcing a written test, but by having a series of real life teaching circumstances and letting them attempt to survive. Within the first few years of teaching, it truly is about surviving, so we must start this process before children's education is on the line. Not only would this help our students, but it would also help with our teacher retention problem.

My next step would be to implement Koreas seriousness for education into the equation. I don't want the main factor to be fear but fear must be involved somewhat. There must be something on the line so that students take each and every grade seriously. I don't think that we should put their careers on the line but I do think that there should be something of importance that can be threatened if they fail, such as an end of the year celebration or field trip. Students must be taught how to care through a little fear at a young age, so that by the time they are old enough to think about their careers, they already know the importance of education. Also, Korea doesn't hand out second chances. If the students preform badly at a young age, that directly affects them for the rest of their lives with no hope of fixing it. Now in the U.S. on the other hand, gives hundreds of re-dos. If a student fails the end of the year state test... no biggie, they can re-take it during the summer. This process continues itself until the child has been pushed through the education system. In my education utopia, I would find the middle of these two circumstances. Not giving any chances sets a student up for failure but so does giving too many. I would create a 5 strike system and once a child hits their 5th strike then they would have to be transferred to a school who could better meet their needs and assure their graduation.

Lastly, I would model Poland's attitude on failure. I would create a "Failure can be fun" mentality. Right now in the U.S. failure is the worst option or outcome. It's deeply feared and regretted. In my opinion, failure should be expected and learned from. Failure is the quickest way to success. If the U.S. could understand that and shift their way of thinking, then I know that our education system would advance very quickly.

We are lucky that we have an inside look at how these top preforming countries behave. Now we have the opportunity to take their strengths and leave their weaknesses. This is our chance, not let's take it! To learn more about this book and how the other countries behave check out this link

Education & Chocolate Cake

Recently, I was asked "In your opinion, what is the most important ingredient to the learning formula? Is it the teacher, technology, class size, the parents....?"

Here's my answer...
There is no "most important ingredient". If I wanted to bake a delicious chocolate cake, then I would have to mix together cocoa powder, flour, eggs, baking soda, and much more. I couldn't pick the most important ingredient from my chocolate cake because without any one of them, my cake wouldn't be a cake. I must have the eggs, flour, and baking soda to create the cake but I must also have the cocoa powder to make it a chocolate one. All of the ingredients depend on one another to create the wonderful finished product. The same goes for education. The teacher is extremely important because  without the teacher, there would be no passion, encouragement, or heart. Without the teacher the basis of education is gone. But students are equally important... without students who are willing to learn and to subject their mind to a day of dedication, education would be extinct. And then come the factors who are equally important such as technology, class size, environment, rules, and motives. These factors are just as important because they determine the type of education. Without these factors, education could be going in one ear of a student and out the other. These methods and teaching techniques help education hold it's form just as a pan would do for my chocolate cake.

The key to education is balance. One must balance all of the factors to ensure that learning is taking place. Learning of subject matter such as math and english and the learning of life lessons. That is why education is so challenging. So many aspects are being demanded at once. But what makes education so challenging is exactly what makes it so rewarding.

To the teachers:
Don't give up. Teaching is grueling. Teaching is tiring. Teaching is life changing.
You are pressured, unappreciated, and sometimes over looked... but don't forget that you are loved!
You are making a significant difference in many, and that is why all that is demanded is so worth it. Baking a cake isn't always fun, but in the end it's worth it.

If this got you thinking, click here to watch a video that talks more about an educational revolution.

Tribes: Creating the Environment

Most careers are black and white. There is usually a right and a wrong way to accomplish a task. But education is what I view as a gray career. Yes, there are situations where the moral code is straightforward, but the core of teaching is gray. What is important to ask of your students? Who leads the class, the teacher or the kids? Are teacher and student relationships important? All of these questions dictate how effective a classroom is and they are all completely the choice of the teacher. Sometimes, it isn't that a teacher chooses a negative environment for their class, but it is simply that they don't know better. Some aren't sure of how to include all the rules they want without becoming overbearing. Others don't realize the importance in stating the "common sense" rules. So how to we solve this problem? How do we help teachers create an environment for their classroom that enhances learning while creating a better work environment for themselves?

Tribes is a teaching method that creates an effective teaching environment for the teachers. Tribe creates five important rules and sets them as the classroom standards.
1. Attentive listening
2. Show appreciation/no put-downs
3. Right to pass/right to participate
4. Mutual Respect

These four rules quickly creates the classroom environment for the teacher. Tribes solves conflicts, creates active learning and listening, and lastly, sets up the basis for relationship building.

I think this strategy is particularly important for beginner teachers to use. No longer will a teacher have to question if their rules are justified or learn hard lessons and deal with regret due to rules or the lack of. If new teachers use Tribes then they will start off confident knowing that with these four simple rules, their classroom will eventually come to together. And though they will still make many mistakes, their basis isn't lacking.

When I become a teacher I see myself taking advantage of the Tribes strategy. One of my fears is coming off too strong with rules in the beginning of the year, or due to fear of that, having little to no structure in my classroom. I like how the four rules in Tribes isn't just disciplinary based, but rather based to help the individual. I strongly believe that education is all about individualization. How can one expect to see all types of students learn from one type of teaching? And how can all students agree with rules that are formed based on the wants and needs of a teacher rather then rules that are based around the wants and needs of the students? In order to actually teach, teachers must create an environment that revolves around the students, have rules that are meant to enhance the students education and experience, and set standards for all to know and live by fairly... and Tribes does just that.

To learn more about Tribes so that you can use it in your classroom, click here!