Words Describing School
I wonder if you had only 5 letters (and just 6 attempts), what words would you choose to describe school? We all have so many wonderful and equally un-wonderful (?) experiences to draw upon when thinking about what school was like for us, and perhaps significantly different words describing what we believe school is like today. Perhaps we should attempt to answer this question:
“Which words describe what school could be?”
SO, in the style of the popular game Wordle, I'd like to propose some potential words describing what school could look like…
APPLY
"When am I ever going to use this???" Ever heard this one? Students deserve a place where the knowledge they learn is applicable. They need opportunities to show what they know in ways that are meaningful. What better way to create meaningful learning experiences than to connect students with real-world folks (organizations, businesses, community members, etc.) so that students can practically apply what they have learned. How might a math lesson lead students into the school cafeteria where they can work alongside the folks who provide breakfast and lunch everyday, helping with "number" problems?
DREAM
By "Dream," I mean that school ought to be the kind of place where dreams are fostered and not crushed. Students' aspirations fuel their desire to learn. Curiosity and wonder can become staples in the classroom. "Passion projects" can help increase student buy-in and engagement while standards are being learned simultaneously. Students walk through the door to school every weekday morning with hopes, dreams, and interests that energize their lives outside of school...how might that realization be harnessed in powerful ways within their school day and then unleashed when they exit the school doors back into their world? Programs like eSports are just one simple way in which students can begin see a connection between their learning and their world they enjoy.
FLOPS
Students need opportunities to understand that their flops, or failures, are a vital part of ANY learning process. We don't celebrate our failures per se ("Yay, we're losers!"), but students can use flops to provide valuable feedback for course-correction and as kindling for new thoughts and ideas. In our STEM lab, Mrs. Whalen and I had one box labeled "Marvelous Mistakes" and one box labeled "Fabulous Failures." At first glance, these boxes held failed 3d print projects and crummy laser cut wood fragments that should probably never have seen the light of day (scrap 'em!). But what these scraps taught was far too valuable for the bin, for behind each mistake was a story of something learned. For example, a glob of melted white 3d filament became a story for our students of how important it is to build supportive structures when designing overhanging architecture in 3D software. Schools ought to provide a culture in which student & teacher flops are realized and valued for the learning which comes from them.
SERVE
Service learning is nothing new under the sun, but when schools connect their curriculum to real needs in their community (and beyond), learning can be transforming! Imagine learning about plants as a 5th grader. Concepts like photosynthesis and interdependence of plant/animal life are learned, and perhaps you might grow lima beans in a plastic cup (cool!). Now, imagine learning about plants as a 5th grader but also learning that a portion of your community does not have access to fresh, healthy produce on a regular basis. The student project might then move beyond simply growing plants in the classroom to becoming a full-blown initiative in which students help raise nutrition awareness in their community and grow healthy food in order to feed folks locally! When serving others is valued in school, students in this environment learn that the concepts they are taught are not static, but rather dynamic ways in which they can use their knowledge to help others.
TRUST
Trust is a foundation of any relationship. Students need to feel trusted and valued every day in school. They also need to know that they can daily trust the adults who work with them (teachers, principals, cafe monitors, bus drivers, etc.). We all know that trust isn't built in a day...kinda like Rome wasn't, so I'm told. As an educator, I admit that sometimes taking time to foster trust can take a backseat to the "curriculum-needs-to-be-taught" pressure. This is a sad realization, but when I honestly reflect on it, it fuels me to do better. Schools which value trust need to to prioritize connection before the content consistently. Students who feel trusted and can trust those in their learning community will thrive in their learning.
BURST
Finally, and equal among my other words, is "burst." School ought to help burst the limited worldview of our students. School ought to be the place that helps students understand multiple perspectives and various solutions to problems. If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend watching the movie Spare Parts. In this movie, a group of high school students learns the power of different life perspectives which helps them grow as a successful team. The other robotics teams and judges in the movie learn that this group of students who do not come from a wealthy, privileged background have genius-level insight into problem-solving! We tend to live in our own little bubbles of understanding. A school that values bursting limited understanding helps promote unity through our differences and that there are many ways to solve problems.
You've just read my list from my limited perspective. Your turn! What's your list of words describing what school could be?
