You walk into a room filled with desks, tables, chairs, a whiteboard or chalkboard, posters on the wall, and little knickknacks around the room. Color seems to be everywhere, unless you’re in high school where color seems to slowly fade away, and you are greeted with motivational quotes and sayings on the wall. You have walked into a classroom. For some of you, this brings a feeling of nostalgia, while others of you start to feel anxious inside. Whichever person you are, let me welcome you to the classroom.
Let me ask you some questions. Looking back, what do you remember most about being in the classroom? Did the classroom prepare you for the real world? Did you learn how to work well with others or with others that you didn’t like? Did the classroom prepare you to solve real world problems? Did the classroom relate what you were learning to actual activities and careers in the real world? Did you spend your time working through text books that were outdated and out of touch with the real world?
I ask all of these questions to make a point. The traditional classroom teaches very little about real world problem solving. It rarely relates problems and content to actual real world experiences. In fact, the public education system has made very little changes in the past 100+ years since it was established. Students are still seated in rows, by themselves, given an outdated textbook, worksheets, and exams that they must complete. Nothing in that relates to the real world. If the purpose of education is to prepare students to enter the real world with skills that will help them become successful, then the classroom should meet those expectations.
Here’s the thing, we already know all of this. Yet, nothing seems to be changing. Students are still sitting at desks. Students are still given outdated textbooks that are out of touch with the real world. Students are still given worksheets that do very little in teaching real world skills. Students rarely, if at all, work in collaboration with each other. And it has been this way for over 100 years. However, the majority of educators know that not only is this not beneficial to student learning, it hinders students’ growth beyond the classroom. We need to do a better job at creating classrooms that focus on real world learning and preparation.
The purpose of this blog is to encourage and support educators and schools to reconsider the value and purpose of the classroom. There are many topics that I will discuss, and if you have any that you would like me to write about, please leave a comment. I hope you find useful information in these pages. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and ideas with you, and I look forward to reading your thoughts and insights as well. Welcome to the classroom.
Welcome To The Classroom 