Further Thoughts on Education from HC

The following comes from Leading Charlottesville guest host Hannah Catherine, who wanted to share her thoughts on education with the group. Thanks, HC for your contribution to this blog.

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I’ve frequently thought about something that Dr. Pam Moran captured in her comments. So much of what we teach our children is independent learning. As an elementary school student, you have your own letter notebook where you diligently practice your letters. Early on, there are individual art projects. As a middle schooler you study for a test and then regurgitate the information in isolation. Even university honor codes stress independent study. If you work together it’s called “cheating” not “collaboration.” And then, we send them off from school and tell them that they have to go work with people. People! Where did you come from? I’m supposed to work with you!?! I don’t even like you…people…

Valerie mentioned that the number one reason employees leave their job is because they don’t like their co-workers and/or supervisor. Okay, now, this is where I get on my soapbox. There is good news. There is at least one place that we are teaching kids to work together. Students that are part of the yearbook staff, the theater club and/or the field hockey team are learning to work together for a common goal. Participation in school activities covers so much.

I glance back over our sessions.
1. Media and communications—certainly a child participating in speech and drama has a hand up on a career in television and radio.
2. Criminal Justice—if we’re worried about kids when the crime rate is highest (breaking and entering between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.) team them up with coaches and give them a ball to kick.
3. Economic vitality and poverty—extra-curricular or co-curricular school activities help alleviate the working parent’s child care woes.
4. Health and human services—athletic participation helps prevent obesity and promotes lifelong wellness.
5. Diversity—teams provide an opportunity to meet others and share or discover a common passion.

A USA Today survey revealed that 95 percent of Fortune 500 corporate officers at the executive vice-president level or higher had one experience in common: they had all participated in high school athletics.

In what did you participate?

Benefits certainly do not come only from athletics. There are students that shine in debate or scholastic bowl. We’ve got a pretty capable group so I’m guessing that most of you were involved. Did you play an instrument? Were you involved with student government? If you are female and graduated prior to 1972, chances are, there was not much available. We’ve come a long way, eh?

What are your memories from high school? Was it a particular test or was it the friend you made on the team? I just had a brief conversation with an Albemarle county employee regarding middle school sports. As it stands right now, Parks and Rec. administers basketball, volleyball and track. A community group administers field hockey and lacrosse. The person in charge of the field hockey and lacrosse program is giving it up. Another individual has agreed to handle lacrosse. But no one has agreed to keep the field hockey program alive. It is likely that the 130 girls involved in the field hockey program will not have that opportunity in the future.The city has after school programs for elementary schools.

Walker (5th and 6th grade) has Edge. The high school has fairly strong extracurricular activities. (Yay VHSL!)I can’t find much for the 7th and 8th graders.

Who loved 7th grade?—not many people. Should we give them something to love?

I’ve just left one of the assistant principals a message so I’ll let you know what they have in place. A co-worker just came in to tell me about a young friend—an eight year old boy at a public school in Richmond. He is in an after-school program and if he is able to run 200 laps (approximately 26.2 miles—the length of a marathon) before the end of the school year, he will earn a free ticket to Kings Dominion. He’s so pumped because he and his buddy are over half-way there. Sometimes they run together, sometimes separately but they’ve made a pact to finish together.

“Nowhere do you find it in education like you find it in athletics: that teachers are teaching what they want to teach to students who are learning what they want to learn, and both are willing to work hour after hour on their own time after school so that everything that can be taught is taught and everything that can be learned is learned.” Al Burr, renowned educator