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remained confused a good part of the time. By requiring all individuals to perform at an 'average' level, we're saying everyone learns at the same rate at the same developmental stage and if they don't, then both the students and teachers have failed. It doesn't work that way. Heck, I had physical science students who helped me connect the learning dots in physics because they had an aptitude I don't. Give the kids who're just as dense as my 40something self a break. They're kids.)

At the foundation of all three of these reasons are the Adults. That's right-US, the adults. We're the reason they don't want to learn.

We use an educational model that we hated being subjected to ourselves, expecting kids to tough it out like we did. But a lot of us dropped out or just ended it once we'd served our 13 year prison term. Four to six more years? Are you crazy?

We, having finally reached a point where we get our turn to be power-mongers, expect 'them' to obey, behave, and fall in line with what we feel is in their 'best interests'. Well, that's sort of like a company deciding that you, Ms. or Mr. Consumer, are going to like, buy, and voraciously consume their chartreuse-colored beer that tastes like dirty swamp water. Education is for kids to learn and to grow. The consumers in the educational system are the kids. They don't want chartreuse colored, swamp flavored beer; they want to be able to walk in, be given a choice in what they consume.

Finally, we erroneously think that we need to prepare them for the rigors of college, teach them how to 'put their nose to the grindstone'and learn how to work, and do it within the thinking that if one assignment teaches most students a concept or skill then 5 more homework assignments on the same concept will be five times more effective. But reality is, one spends one-third the amount of time on a college campus than a K-12 student spends on campus per week, giving the college student both a chanced to complete independent work, develop social skills, and just generally lead a nice, well-balanced life. reality is that if students burn-out from
being overloaded and stressed (or through making them despise education altogether) they don't need to be prepared for the rigors of college because they won't be going to one. Reality is more assignments don't lead to more learning. (Think about the days where you have had too many tasks to finish-you probably raced through each one in order to get to the end and onto something you like to do. Now consider those days where you had only a couple of tasks-not only did you like the day more, but you gave each task all you had because there was plenty of time to do all you needed and all you wanted. Homework is evil.)

If we Adults-as leaders forming policy, as parents, as administrators, and as teachers-would relinquish power in order to reorganize the structure of the educational system into becoming student-centered rather than adult centered, all kids and young adults would have a chance to achieve, excel, and truly learn.

What are all you adults afraid of? They're just kids. Give 'em power over their own lives.

Learn more about this author, Maria Bray.
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