by Matthew Huddleston

Created on: June 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 07, 2009

Survival of the Funnest!?!

There is no question but that the American public high school system needs improvement in general. The proof of that is in the many schools around the nation which are attempting radical changes to curriculum, schedules, styles, student/community interaction, and anything else to recharge their students during this four year quest. The fact is that government, media and pop culture have stigmatized an institution that, at its core, can work for the vast majority of students. The answer: remember that education can be fun, and school is a largely social (read: fun with friends) construct.

High school is much more than reading and writing. There are clubs, sports, dances, rallies, and field trips. Students can participate in politics, class spirit, and academic competitions. Young people can learn to explore different cultures, different styles, and different attitudes. If school were just learning from textbooks, books would be shipped home and with the due dates on assignments. School is so much more. High school, in particular, is about engaging diverse groups of young people in a cornucopia of social interactions and using those experiences to develop stronger, more capable young adults.

While all of these social elements exist, administrators, parents, teachers and students are often caught up in the demands of rigorous curriculum and, especially, in the modern incarnation of the importance of standards based test results. It is easy to fall into a trap where a school is modeled into a "higher test results" and "core curriculum only" prison. Even with extracurricular activities such as sports, schools that give in ideologically to these common pressures permeate a mood that stifles academic freedom and expression.

Students can actually take charge of the atmosphere on campus. Join clubs. If the club you want does not exist, find a teacher sponsor and create the club. Play sports. At most schools that have mood problems, coaches are probably looking for athletes and are willing to teach the basics if students are willing to put in the extra effort. Track and field is always a good place to test the athletic waters. Be a fan. Especially if the teams on the field or court are not exactly blazing towards championships, the real action and fun can often be found in the student cheer section. Meet new people. Avoid the cliques that so permeate pop culture representations of high school life. In

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