I’ve really been thinking about this question lately. So when I was out doing errands yesterday, and a podcast episode titled “What Should School Cost?” came on, it was a bit serendipitous.
It’s from the show Akimbo by Seth Godin, a marketer I have followed and enjoyed reading for YEARS. He always helps me approach a topic differently, think about it a different way, and challenge some of my own beliefs. For me, that’s what education is all about. Hearing different sides, seeing the way different people approach a problem, and then forming an opinion based on that.
Today, it seems like no one wants their own beliefs challenged.
Listening to this podcast really helped me. It had me stop and think about WHY public education even began. It confirmed my frustrations about standardized testing, and also helped me realize how we’ve gotten to where we are.
I’d love for you to listen to it and get your takeaway.
My takeaway is we should be sending our kids to school to encourage their creativity through learning new skills like building, cooking, different forms of exercise, reading and discussion.
It shouldn’t be about grading them, what good is that? It should be about helping them find what they love to do. Helping them see the world in different ways, so they can approach the same problems with new solutions.
My husband’s grandfather used to always say, “Only a fool makes the same mistake twice.“
So, why do we keep making the mistake of trying to fit everyone in the same mold?
It’s not the Industrial Revolution anymore. We don’t need an obedient workforce. We need those who think differently. Approach problems differently, and don’t get caught up in propaganda.
But, right now our government doesn’t want that. So, how do we fix it?
