Learning from Children - Competency Counts

Mosaic or Rockwell by Students

I started to write the other day about educators taking back education. Inspired by the words “the wilderness inward takes years to cross….”  in Mark Van Doren’s poem, “Patience” (in Collected and New Poems 1924 – 1963). I found myself on an unexpected journey. I looked at my regressions as an educator and pontificated about what it is we adults should do. Looking in can be painful, especially when you realize that maybe you had it all wrong. Diane Ravitch this fall recanted her support of charter schools. I was not so forgiving when she first made her statements. My colleague Jed pushed back about her courage. He was right! So I think my premise that educators need to take back education just may be wrong? 

Lately, I have been working on building a schedule for teaching online recovery courses and getting ready to open a democratic school – it makes me ponder what kids really need to know and why we might just want to look at things a little differently. Early this morning as a large, pink, fiery sun painted the blue horizon, I thought more about just how wise children are. In the Tao of Pooh and other forms of Eastern thought we are called to come back to our child-like brilliance. Interesting! The blog about educators taking back education seemed, at that moment, with colors traversing the sky, stuffy and wrong. Children mostly get it right. We need to pay attention to the children.

As educators can we try to peel back the layers of minutia we burden our children with? Can we allow children to lead us? It will take heart and courage, this will be no easy task. Can we try to not tell children to stop dreaming, creating, playing and exploring? As educators, can we look at what our children know and learn by doing, exploring, and collaborating? Can we step back and be their guide? Can we model learning as we explore, dream and create? I challenge us all to see the bright light and competency that exists right in their eyes and smiles, in their grimaces and sights as they learn. Try to let go – try to trust these bright shining lights that really do hold our future. Can you?

Check out www.blendedschools.net for competency based summer recovery courses and patmulroy.blogspot.com to learn more about democratic schools.