You’ve heard the kids – “When am I ever going to use this?!” For that matter, many a worker has said the same thing at a professional development seminar! Now more than ever, making sure that new knowledge is applicable to real life is so very important. When you show kids how what they are currently doing will make them better at what they want to do later, you’re bound for success.
Earlier this week, my high school students and I attended the West Oklahoma National Speech and Debate Association state meet. We were gathering information for competition next year. It was so amazing to have the kids report back to me that the events were applicable to what they would be doing in their eventual jobs. That alone provided the motivation for the kids to want to join in. And they are right… this program will ensure that they are not boring speakers!
As I was driving the bus back from the trip, I was utilizing the time to think of new ways to improve writing in our elementary and to make English more applicable for the kids in my middle school. It dawned on me that the way I became proficient at English was by editing other’s work. I would look up rules to make sure I didn’t tell someone wrong information, and my confidence in editing grew with each appreciative remark for my efforts. If I want the kids to actually use what they learn in English, they should actually use what they learn in English! Duh, huh?
Beginning fourth quarter, my middle school English classes will begin editing our elementary students’ writing. My students will have assigned writers so that they can watch for trends and let the teachers know repeated issues. The elementary students will become better writers, and my students will be using what they are learning in my English class just like an editor, teacher, or writer would. It’s real, and therefore worth learning!
My high schoolers definitely know the benefit of “keeping it real.” We were discussing how to get more secondary students to come to our school. We know Instagram is the new way to “advertise,” but we couldn’t figure out what to say that would convince a kid to leave his huge school and join us. I was about to give it up as a lost cause when my kids suddenly articulated a vision I had been nursing for many years. I have always wanted to eventually make our arts gala open to secondary students all over the area. “Why don’t we open our art festival and Open Mic stage to area students? Then they can see what we offer?” It was like they crawled into my brain! I know that the kids will cause this festival to be successful… because it’s “real.” It matters. If affects. It influences.
That’s all your kids want: to matter – to affect – to influence. Why wait till they’re adults? Make what they’re doing now is real. Also make sure that what they want to do with their lives is based on reality… but that’s a subject for another time!
- Michelle