So Many Questions...

I’ve found myself in a bit of an Interrogative mood lately (hat tip to Padgett Powell and his creative, intriguing book). Even though I’m not sure the reason, I’m grateful for this development. Why? Because I’ve come to learn this about myself: when I’m more and more inquisitive, I’m thinking in deeper and more connected ways. My hunch is that my subconscious is responding to all the external stimuli and change happening in the world around me, and my mind is trying to make sense of things. 

-With the wage possibilities for various trades, and the constant need for more skilled workers, why are there not more and more trade entry programs in our high schools, or at the least thoughtful partnerships with post-grad programs and an increased promotion of said programs? More specifically, why do we not have more of these in areas where it could be most helpful → inner cities, rural communities, etc.? In addition to investing more in the schools in these areas, a heightened priority around trade profession preparation could be a game changer for students, communities, and local economies - in ALL areas. 

-We have steered further and further away from promoting play with our youngest students, even though evidence shows so many benefits children receive from active play. Why? And - even more importantly - are the ends worth the means?

-We have access to more literature and text than ever before, and we know more and more about language acquisition than ever before…yet growth and efficacy  in reading seems to be slow, stagnant, and resistant. Why? There are no doubt lots of reasons, as well as different points of view. One of the episodes of the Podcast Plain English dove into this topic last week. I highly recommend a listen.

-Elective courses and subjects like music and art seem to be less and less a part of students’ academic experiences. With evidence around the benefits those classes can have in terms of learning and achievement (inset links and/or data here), shouldn’t that trend move the other way around?

-Similar question for PE…there are so many overall health of students, and in general so many reasons why physical education classes and movement are important to have in schools… yet in so many instances, the amount of time students get in gym class - whether required or as elective choices - seems to be either in decline or not as stressed. I find myself wondering why. Should there be more exposure and access to these opportunities for students?  

These are some of the things on my mind lately. There are course more aspects of education - and how we can best serve students - that are always demanding our thinking and attention. I still want to explore what it could look like to “build” the ideal school from the ground up…what if we just reimagined everything? That’s a different set of posts for future days. For now, this is a good start on things to consider.