Let’s Talk About School
Look, I’ve been around the block a few times. Twenty-three years as an editor, and I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought. Then, last Tuesday, I had coffee with an old friend, let’s call him Marcus. He’s a teacher. And he told me something that made my latte taste like dirt.
He said, “You know all those fancy new teaching methods? The tech, the apps, the ‘personalized learning’? It’s not working.” I asked him what he meant. He said, “Kids are more stressed than ever. They’re burned out. They hate school.”
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I mean, I remember hating school. But I thought we’d gotten better at this by now.
So, I did what any self-respecting editor would do. I started digging. And what I found out is… well, it’s not pretty.
We’re Teaching the Wrong Things
Here’s the thing. We’re so focused on STEM, STEM, STEM. Science, technology, engineering, math. And don’t get me wrong, those are important. But we’re forgetting the basics. The stuff that makes us human.
Like, when was the last time you used calculus in real life? Exactly. But how about managing your time? Or dealing with stress? Or, you know, not being a terrible person?
I’m not saying we should ditch the math. But maybe, just maybe, we should spend a little less time on quadratic equations and a little more time on stress management techniques daily. You know, the stuff that’s actually gonna help them in life.
And don’t even get me started on the way we teach history. It’s all dates and names and battles. Boring! History should be about stories. About people. About understanding why we’re all so messed up today because of stuff that happened yesterday.
A Little Story About My Friend Dave
Okay, so this is gonna sound like a tangent, but stick with me. I have a colleague named Dave. Dave’s a great guy. But he’s also the kind of guy who still uses a flip phone. And he’s proud of it.
So, one day, Dave’s all, “You know what’s wrong with education? Too much tech. Kids these days, they’re all glued to their screens. It’s unnatural.”
And I’m like, “Dave, you’re living in the past. Tech is here to stay. We gotta embrace it.” But then, I thought about it. Maybe Dave’s got a point. Maybe we’re going too far with the tech stuff.
I mean, have you seen some of these classrooms? It’s like a sci-fi movie in there. Screens everywhere. Kids wearing VR headsets. It’s crazy. And honestly, it’s kinda creepy.
But here’s the thing. Tech isn’t the enemy. It’s how we use it. We can’t just throw screens at kids and call it a day. We gotta use tech to enhance learning, not replace it.
And yeah, maybe we should make sure kids can still hold a pen. And look people in the eye. And have a conversation without checking their phones every two seconds.
Standardized Testing is a Joke
Look, I’m gonna say something controversial here. Standardized testing is a complete and utter joke. It’s a waste of time. A colossal waste of time.
I mean, think about it. We take kids who come from all different backgrounds, with all different learning styles, and we make them sit down and take the same test. And then we judge their entire future based on that one test. It’s ridiculous.
And don’t even get me started on the testing companies. They’re making a fortune off this nonsense. It’s a racket. A complete and total racket.
We need to throw out the standardized tests. All of them. And we need to start evaluating kids based on their actual skills. Not some arbitrary number on a piece of paper.
But, you know, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. (But I’m not.)
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
So, here’s another thing that’s been bugging me. Why do we make school so competitive? It’s like we’re training kids to be cutthroat businesspeople or something.
I remember in high school, there was this one kid, let’s call him Greg. Greg was a genius. But he was also a complete and total jerk. And everyone hated him. Because he made sure they knew he was better than them.
And the teachers, they just let it happen. They encouraged it, even. “Look at Greg,” they’d say. “He’s so smart. Why can’t you be more like Greg?”
Well, guess what? Greg grew up to be a investment banker. And he’s still a jerk. And nobody likes him. And he’s probably gonna die alone.
But the point is, we need to stop pitting kids against each other. We need to encourage collaboration. Teamwork. Kindness, even.
Because, at the end of the day, that’s what’s gonna matter. Not some stupid test score. Not some fancy college degree. But the ability to work with other people. To communicate. To be a decent human being.
And yeah, maybe that’s a little idealistic. But so what? Someone’s gotta say it.
Let’s Get Real About College
Okay, so this is gonna be short because I’m getting mad just thinking about it. College is a scam. It’s a giant, expensive scam.
I mean, have you seen the cost of tuition these days? It’s outrageous. And for what? So kids can sit in some overpriced lecture hall and listen to some professor drone on about something they’ll never use?
And don’t even get me started on the student loan crisis. It’s a disaster. A complete and total disaster.
But here’s the thing. I’m not saying college is bad. For some people, it’s great. But it’s not for everyone. And we need to stop acting like it is.
We need to start valuing other kinds of education. Trade schools. Apprenticeships. Online courses. Hell, even YouTube tutorials. Because not everyone needs a fancy degree to be succesfully.
But, you know, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. (But I’m not.)
What’s the Point of All This?
So, where does that leave us? Well, I’m not sure. But I think it’s time for a change. A big one.
We need to stop teaching to the test. We need to stop obsessing over tech. We need to stop making school a competition. And we need to stop acting like college is the only path to succes.
Instead, we need to focus on the stuff that actually matters. The stuff that’s gonna help kids in the real world. Like managing their time. Dealing with stress. Being a decent human being.
And yeah, maybe that’s a tall order. But someone’s gotta say it. And I’m just the guy to do it.
So, there you have it. My totally unbiased, completely unqualified take on the state of education today. You can agree with me, or you can disagree. But either way, let’s have a conversation about it. Because the kids are watching. And they deserve better than what we’re giving them.
But, you know, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. (But I’m not.)
About the Author
Sarah Jenkins has been a senior editor for over 20 years, working with major publications and covering everything from politics to pop culture. She lives in New York with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends her free time complaining about the state of education and binge-watching reality TV. You can find her on Twitter @sarahjenkinswrites, where she’s always happy to argue about the merits of the Oxford comma.
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