The Real World

Throughout the school year, I will write brief posts on things that are happening in the educational world and how it effects us in Lincoln Park.  I will try to keep it brief and include some external links that are probably of far more interest than my words.  I hope that you enjoy.  If nothing else, I hope that it sparks some conversation amongst you! The first topic, and one that has been nagging at me lately is the "Real World."  Not the MTV show, but the concept that we sometimes romanticize in schools.  So, here it goes...

The Myth of the Real World

One of the things I have struggled with the most as an educator is the idea of getting students ready for the concept of the Real World.  Throughout my career, this has looked significantly different based on the situation at hand, but it almost always came back to some level of student accountability and what they would/wouldn't be able to get away with in this fictional setting.  Accepting late assignments, welcoming tardy students, asking about their home life, or even developing the essential relationship at one point or another were ideas that were thought to be a deterrent to this preparation.  The number of times that I have heard the phrase "The real world doesn't care about..." is too great to count.  

Fortunately, that approach has started to change and educators are trying to deal with the dizzying affects of trauma, poverty, and all of the other baggage that students bring to school with them on a daily basis.  In Lincoln Park, we are tackling these challenges head on with the newly created Student Support Network.  I have had the opportunity to work on this committee and see the incredible challenges they are trying to deal with.  I am proud of the work that we have done and hope that you will embrace some of the changes as we move forward with an open mind and a modified understanding of what the real world looks like for our students.  In every case it is different, and although this poses a unique challenge with each and every student, it truly is the only key we can use to unlock the door of Real World Success!  

George Couros, who is an incredible Educational Blogger and the author of "The Innovator's Mindset", covers this topic far more thoroughly than I ever could in an August post from this year.  Click here to check it out.   

Finally, I would be mistaken if I did not include the one video that fully encapsulates everything that the SSN strives for.  When addressing student/staff relationships, nobody does it more clearly than Rita Pierson.  I am sure many of you have seen this video already, but it is a good reminder as we begin another chapter in our school careers.  You have an opportunity to have a profound effect on every kid that will enter your classrooms this week.  Please embrace it and be a champion for them. 

  

I look forward to working with all of you!  Thank you for reading!