As a student, I did “school” really well. Showed up, completed assignments, memorized facts and figures for the test but school was not relevant to me. I didn’t see how I would use what we were learning in my daily life or future. Little did I know I would be using y=mx + b to decipher the latest school accountability formulas in Texas (don’t ask).

I was always impressed that my brainiac sister actually remembered details and enjoyed learning. For me the joy was sucked out because I was focused on doing well on the test. We both did well, but she did much better! How is it that sisters in the same schools (2 years apart) had very different experiences?

Where I saw school, she saw learning.

I’m floored by the ability of my own children to learn new things when it is something that they care about. Using the internet and their networks they literally have access to the world. Spanish becomes very relevant when playing games online with kids from South America who only speak Spanish. They actually want to learn new vocabulary and try out speaking the language! Extra credit in Spanish class for this??

How can we make school more authentic for students? What if school was a place kids couldn’t wait to go to learn about things that interested them? A place that would help kids learn things relevant today and for the future. A place where we help kids discover their unique gifts and talents even if it’s not academics.

The great teachers already do this, but the system doesn’t support it…yet.

There is work to be done moving from pockets of greatness to a better system. We are in a very exciting time in education and I see the tide turning. Parents no longer value standardized tests, colleges are looking for more than the highest GPAs for their incoming students. It should not be school vs learning – school should be the hub of learning. And it should be a joyful place.

Let’s keep working on that!