I believe that kids don’t hate learning–they just hate school. At least this was the case for me. Once I became an adult and was freed from the shackles of chemistry and algebra, a whole new world of learning by choice opened up–and boy, was it exciting. I’m going to assume that most of our readers agree with me on this point. But if extra credit and pop quizzes were your bag, then comment below and tell us why school rules.
So what’s got me thinking about school-hating and test-loathing? A bit on the Washington Post‘s Answer Sheet blog by cognitive scientist Roger C. Schank. You’ll have to read it yourself to glean all his thought-provoking arguments, but suffice it to say: Schank thinks school stinks. By no fault of the teachers, subjects taught traditionally like economics and French are simply not taking residence in our children’s minds and expanding their thinking. According to Schank, a topic has to be inherently interesting for someone to learn.
So while I love teachers, I simply must question the way most schools operate, and pose a real question to you all: How can we improve the way things are currently done in the classroom?
–Whitney C. Harris
Deputy Editor
