The Good Old Days Aren't Good Enough Anymore

In our hurried, quick fix world, you often hear people talk about the good old days when life seemed simpler and our teaching in school was focused on young people learning the basics of reading, math, and good citizenship. While these are still important skills for students, in our ever changing world the basics are simply not enough anymore. Our students in Middlesboro don't just compete for jobs in our community; they compete nationally and globally for good paying jobs. The ramifications of these changes are that our teachers must prepare our students to graduate with 21st century workplace readiness skills. These include knowing higher levels of math, being able to read and write more complex information, the ability to adapt to rapid changes in technology, good reasoning skills, increasing creativity, and working together collaborataively in groups. At the same time, our teachers cannot afford to let one student slip through the cracks and miss out on these valueable skills. Our schools are being reorganized so that the needs of all students, not just the larger group who are able to quickly master learning, are met.

So, these days, schools cannot be the same and teachers must teach very differently than in the past. Good teachers spend their time assessing students, revising their lessons to meet specific needs, and collaborating with their fellow teachers so that everyone is following a specific curriculum with predetermined outcomes for students. So, life is not as simple as it was in good old days. No matter what students can do when they enter our doors, we must have a clear picture and expectation of what they can do when they walk across that stage to get their diploma (a validation of their learning). We are exchanging the good old days for a great future in our children's lives.

Learning is More than Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

All educators understand the importance of "time of task", especially in the core content areas such as math, reading, science, social studies, and language arts. However, for our students to become productive citizens, there is so much more that they need to know and learn than just core classes. Normally, I would be writing about the many other types of activities and fine arts classes that we offer. I would be writing about teaching students manners, appropriate social interactions, and much more. All those skills and extra-curricular activities are important but today, on Veterans' Day, I want to take time to emphasize how important it is for our schools, and all of us, to recognize the sacrifice that others have made so that we can have freedom of choice, schools, and regligion. When I attend special programs offered by the schools, I realize how important it is for our schools to help students who don't have enough life experiences yet to understand the importance of this day and to bridge the gap between history and reality. While they all have access to history via textbooks, classwork, and the internet; the reality of loss suffered by others for them becomes much more real when they hear actual letters written by those who have perished, when they see videos of actual people and war, when they hear music from that era or music that reflects on our country's greatness. Then the sacrifice becomes more real and the impact is much greater. While the students who peform at these progams experience a deeper understanding of the past, the students who attend and watch their peers benefit as well.

Most of the time when you read this blog, you will see that I am very committed and focused on student learning and academic performance. Time on task is critical for our students because it is a limited comodity. But sometimes......like today, it's appropriate to take time from the regular classroom for something this important to our students and all of us. It's important for our students to learn about respect, to develop appreciation for those who have sacrificed for them, and that freedom to choose is not free.