Call me crazy, but the idea of teaching all children the same thing is useful until about the sixth grade. Then we should recognize strengths and weakness in our children and start teaching them to run with their strengths and be great at something. Instead we fight their weaknesses, and suppress their self esteem by making them struggle in this subject or that.
Standard curriculum would work – if people were or wanted to be “standard”.
Without sounding too conspiratorial, public education has evolved into a system whereby the electorate is pacified by the idea of “free” education (day care for many) and the education is at an intellectual level just good enough to teach the students how to subsist and respect government. That way, the masses are not going to be smart enough to trust themselves; rather to trust government to be their provider and protector. It has worked quite well.
Agreed. Everyone should check out the TEDx talk: “Hackschooling makes me happy”. It completely validates this blog. I majored in Child Development at ASU (a very useful degree for my current position as the Marketing Manager for Tar Heel Basement Systems)and I truly believe that we should not restrain our children from being creative, outside of the box thinkers, but rather promote this idea. Our education system simply does not offer this to our children, which is a shame!
One of my favorite quotes of all time (Coach Carter): Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Great idea.
As an educator in the past, and always with an interest in it for my boys, I have often fought with my own philosophy of education. I firmly believe we should be fostering our children’s interests and teaching to their curiosity. Also, seeking to expand their frame of reference by exposing them to subjects they have not yet seen.
As a fifth grade teacher it was always a shame to see how, at first they were so excited to get their history and science books, but then later, because of tests and quizzes, they loathed those two subjects. Why not have a project based education and throw out Tests and quizzes in those two subjects? What does an elementary student really need to know?
I have to agree!!! I understand this from personal experience with my children. I am a proud mother of 9! In raising all these children you see the personalities grow over the years and how different each child becomes. We have some with special needs which makes child rearing unique! For instance, one of our sons is a High-Functioning Autistic child accompanied by ADHD. We definitely needed to find “the back door” to his brain when teaching him. He requires to be taught in a different manner. Knowing that all people are not the same, why don’t we recognize those differences when they are children and teach them how they need to be taught. Recently, a study was conducted on how children are raised in different countries. Results showed that the overall culture of raising children in the United States was of creativity in a positive manner. When a child was faced with a difficult task, their thought process was figuring out how to creatively make the best of the problem. I think focusing on the child’s strengths and growing those strengths is monumental in their overall development and success in life.
Couldn’t agree more. We’ve had a great experience with Montessori for our kids, so far through Junior High. If you’d like to learn more about how it works, watch this short video: http://youtu.be/GcgN0lEh5IA, or google “Trevor Eissler “Montessori Madness!”
Very true, and well put!