Educational romanticism

...our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general. Rath, Strengths Finder 2.0

My desktop background is always a photo of my grandsons. I do this because I love them, but also as a guide to my thinking about education. Both these little boys are smart, charming, cute and full of mischief. But they are also developing rather different personalities and talents. Like my own children, they are both exceptional - in their own ways.

I thought of kids' differences a lot after reading Elona Hartjes interesting post on her Teachers at Risk blog that criticizes educational romanticism. Ms Hartjies gave a name to a concern I have often felt as well.

The cult of educational romanticism is setting kids up for failure. The sooner we accept that not all students have the intellectual ability to become anything they or maybe more importantly any thing their parents want them to be, the better. We need to stop setting kids up for failure by pretending that they can do anything given the right amount of support at school. Let me tell you here right now that’s not the case.

Ms Hartjes accuses parents of educational romanticism, but it is also a trait well demonstrated by politicians. In Minnesota Algebra I is now an 8th grade requirement so that ever higher levels of math can be required for graduation. Biology, chemistry and physics are now all required courses. Proficiency on the math graduation test was set so high only 30% of our kids passed it - a level set by the political appointees at the Department of Education, not educators.

What all these increased requirements mean, of course, is that kids can take fewer electives. More math and science means less art, music, languages, tech ed, and business classes can be taken - truly fewer chances for kids to work in areas where they may excel. Areas in which they are quite likely to become very productive members of society

Of course everyone needs a basic proficiency in math and science. But does everyone need to know physics and trigonometry? To be frank, I seriously believe neither my son nor I would have completed high school given these requirements. And it's not because we are stupid (at least my son), but that our talents lie in areas other than math and science.

I am loathe to use sports analogies, but physical romanticism would never be considered. That all children would be able to run the mile in four minutes or be six feet tall is absurd. That football and tennis would be identified as the sports for success in the 21st century and higher proficiencies in those deemed so important that other sports are seen as nice extras is ridiculous.  If we used an educational romanticism model in sports, Michael Phelps today may well be a frustrated quarterback.

Tom Rath in Strengths Finder 2.0 argues that people are happier and more successful when using and developing their natural strengths than when they are trying to compensate for their weakness.

Why does this not hold true in education as well?

See any signs of “educational romanticism” in your educational system?

Comments

[teacherninja]

Yes, thank you for posting this. I teach elementary, so it's not as big an issue here--but it is something we should be considering. K has turned into 1st grade. Full day, no naps, no learning to tie shoes--just learn to read or risk being held back. We're doing pre-algebra in 5th grade! I think we have a great public education system in this country and it is something we should cherish to further our democracy. We should all be given the literacy and critical thinking skills to be good citizens and understand the issues before us. I think that means a solid general education. I do believe their ARE students that are gifted in certain areas and should be allowed to excel "each according to their gifts" as a wise philosopher once said (okay, it was Mr. Spock) just as we encourage the physically gifted to excel in sport.

I'm not saying bring back tracking and I'm not saying we shouldn't do our best with each student. I'm saying we should be grading each student against themselves using a rational rubric that shows them where they are on a continum and what their personal goals are. Some students in the same class could all be reading mysteries in a genre study but some will be reading Cam Jansen and some will be reading Conan Doyle. I do this myself. It's called diffentiating for instruction. How do they handle it? Each according to their gifts.

[Paul C.]

As I read your reflections about the dangers of educational romanticism, I was reminded of the Grade 6 student, Dalton Sherman's August speech, which Dallas school board officials wrote. Dalton said, "Here's the deal: I can do anything, be anything, create anything, dream anything, become anything – because you believe in me. And it rubs off on me."

Yes, as teachers we believe in the potential of all of our students, and we encourage their dreams as much as possible. Just as you, Doug, believe in the future potential of your grandchildren.

However, "Be anything? Create anything?" Let's be realistic. Find their strengths, recognize their challenges, and design a program which will enable them to progress happily through school taking courses which match their interests and abilities.

[Michelle K.]

Interestingly enough, this relates to a conversation some teachers were having at lunch today. There's a new pilot program in our district in one of the high schools in which the students are given multiple opportunities to redo an assignment until it meets their own expectations. If their homework is not good enough, the teachers must throw out that grade. The students may retake tests as many times as they need to, and no grades below a 77 (a "C" in our district) are allowed. I suppose that the schools are doing this to try to lower their failure rate or raise their graduation rate, but how does this really benefit anyone? The teachers are especially stressed by this because they are having to create more and more assignments and stay after school to work with the students. Of course, I think it's great to give the students extra help, but it's up to the students to attend these help sessions. I wonder if they could continue to test on a certain subject/area indefinitely.

I do believe in differentiated instruction, but I agree that sometimes, enough is enough! Some kids are just not cut out to be doctors/lawyers/accountants... those are the facts! I hate to trample on someone's dreams. We need to help them set realistic goals, steer them in that direction, and have programs that help them be successful!

[Cathy Nelson]

In my own state, FINALLY we ditched our very rigorous state assessment with its lofty and unrealistic standards (whre each year the current bar is raised several degrees, and this year there are what is considered failing schools than ever before around here) only to replace it with a very similar assessment program,. We went from PACT (Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test) to PASS (Palmetto Assessment of State Standards.) The only difference as I see so far is that instead of having five levels (advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and a fifth BB that defies logic or explanation, but is worse than BB) there are now three standards of grading. So what is considered passing? But we STILL have in place the ever moving higher goal to reach to be declared a successful school. The great unknown is coming this year with PASS. My suspicion is that it will a wolf in sheep's clothing--same ol' same old. I heard this in a Phillip Schlechty preso one time, and I think it aptly fits here, can't bet t to fit and paint it to match to get school reform. We never learn. Oh the educational romanticism also sounds a lot like the newest reform drug of choice in school districts across the southeast (and probably a wider geographic area)--> High Schools That Work. Students can retest failed exams for a better score, but nothing is factored in higher than a 77. I have issues with this too. Thank goodness Shane has been accepted early to one of his top five schools he applied too--Roll Tide Roll. Still waiting to hear form his other four.

[Doug Johnson]

@ Hi Jim,

We are doing "value-added" testing with the NWEA MAPS tests in our district which make great sense to me. You are looking at growth of individual students rather than some crazy norm or artificial standard. To me a school is successful when all student make a year of progress, not when over x% are at grade level.

And yes, we talk about differentiating instruction, but are compensating or are we truly identifying strengths and developing those?

Interesting times,

Doug

@ Hi Paul.

I thought of that speech as well (which I did not much care for).

I like to think I've always encouraged my own kids to do what they really want to do. But to have a fall-back position just in case the dream career doesn't pan out.

I mean, just because I was never People's Sexiest Man of the Year doesn't mean I am not happy today ;-)

Doug

@ Hi Michelle,

Yeah, I believe in giving kids opportunities until they master a concept or material, but to do so requires a restructuring of the educational system - not just adding more tasks to a teacher's load. I've always thought every student should have an "IEP" of realistic goals and successful completion of the IEP would be expected.

I think we will see a lot of innovative interventions in the years ahead - some doable and some wacko!

Thanks for the note,

Doug

@ Hi Cathy,

The skeptic in me says that these state tests are less about student achievement and more about discrediting the public schools by finding ways to brand them failures - so that there is more public support for vouchers. By continuing to raise the bar and by creating small subgroups of kids, more of our MN schools, usually ranked the best in the nation, are getting tagged as failing too.

Congrats on you son getting into a good school!

All the best,

Doug

[Elona Hartjes]

Doug,
I love the point you've made about physical romanticism. We certainly don't expect everyone to run the four minute mile. We're more realistic.

[Doug Johnson]

Thank you, Elona. I very much appreciated (as I you can tell) your original post and hope you don't mind my quoting you.

Keep up the good work. I am now a subscriber to your blog!

Doug

[Kimberly]

My school is moving towards IEPs for every student. Once a week students get a double specials period (art, music, Tech, Library, PE) and the teachers get a 90 min planning period.

During that planning period the teachers meet as a team with our core team (Reading, Math specialists, AP, Principal (doubles as a Science Specialist), Social Worker, and councilor). There is a folder for every student.

Lets say long division is being taught. Students who are having difficulty are highlighted. Their work is analyzed, past work and interventions that did or did not work are also looked at. Students that learn in similar ways are grouped together. They might go to a different teacher for math for a short period to see if her approach helps, or they might be pulled out with the specialist or an aide. Our principal and AP both tutor students before and after school. It is not unusual to see a student smiling as s/he walks down the hall to the Principal's office to show off a grade.

Another group of students are excelling on this concept and have it pretty much mastered. With the input of our G&T teacher (she is on campus 2.5 days a week, so not at the meetings) these students are given projects or encouraged to develop their own projects to extend the concept to another level.

If I walk into a reading lesson - there are multiple novels or picture books (depending on the level) being used.

We have a cool reward system for grades. Students never know when a test or quiz might result in passes. Passes are awarded for A's or B's and for improving your grades. They include - music (being able to have a player to use during independent work), computer time, free dress, lunch with a teacher of your choice, lunch with the Principal, AP, Librarian, Coach, choose your own seat for the day, and some others.

The passes are stickers worn on the clothes - so students are also getting high 5's from teachers in other grades and specials all day long. Kids that normally won't look you in the eye, hold their heads up high when they are wearing the sticker.