Real World

"We need to prepare them for the real world"  This is a response that many of us have uttered when explaining why we do some of the things that we do in the classroom, or why some of our policies exist.  There are certainly aspects of this statement that ring true.  Educators do, in fact, play a role in preparing students to function effectively as they navigate through life.  However, what now gives me pause, and where my thinking has changed as a result of much reflection, is this:  what exactly IS our perception of the real world and are our so called "life preparing" policies really serving that purpose?

Let me first address the complexity of the "real world", because one thing I have learned in my years as an educator is that many of our students face a reality that I can not even imagine.  In fact, some students live a reality every day that I am not sure I would even survive.  The real world for a 4th grader who was once sent to my office for fighting at recess included a $20 bill in his back pocket wrapped around a grocery list that included well more than $20 worth of food items which he was responsible for buying after school if he had any hope of feeding his brothers and himself that night.  And that sweet blonde five year old with a shy smile who gave me a hug every day, but could turn violent and out of control at any moment?  Part of his real world includes a memory of men with guns coming into his trailer at night while he hid under a blanket.  We must be careful about making assumptions regarding what we may think we know about what the real world looks like for our children.  This may involve either shifting or abandoning some of our "life preparing" policies.

I believe our true intention is to enact policies that will prepare students to be responsible in their future jobs.  For example, when we penalize students for late work by giving them a zero or reducing their grade, we are preparing them to be responsible so that they will complete work on time in their jobs.  This works fantastically for the students who are ALREADY conscientious, and who are concerned about having their grade lowered because of late work.  For students who are not conscientious and not concerned about their grade being lowered, the result is often an opportunity for them to avoid doing the work altogether.  We definitely want to teach our students the responsibility to complete their work on time, but first we must get them to COMPLETE THE WORK.  Some schools have begun to build time into their weekly schedules for students to attend required extra work sessions (with support) where they complete work that has not been turned in.  In many cases, they get full credit for the work because the school is placing value on the student completing the work.  The consequence is being held accountable to spend the extra time at school to complete the work rather than the consequence being the grade.

Re-dos and re-takes are another example of a "life preparing" policy we need to carefully consider.  Only allowing students one opportunity to assess or to complete an assignment is not consistent with the real world.  There are all kinds of opportunities for do-overs in real life...on the ACT,  the MCATs, the Bar Exam, the drivers license test.  It is important to note in each of these cases, it is the highest score, or the passing score that counts.  It is not a combination of scores, nor is there a limitation enforced as a result of the retake.  As Rick Wormeli says in his article, Redos and Retakes Done Right (Educational Leadership, November 2011), a lawyer who passes the bar exam after several attempts is not limited to practicing law one day a week.

I do not know if it falls in "life-preparing", but the concept of averaging scores to come up with one grade is a policy that also does not align with the "real world" for which we are preparing our students.  A salesman who meets his goal to sell 30 cars in a month for the first time does not report the average of his last three months.  A teacher who receives excellent ratings on her final evaluation after working to make improvements to her instructional practices does not want her initial and final evaluations to be averaged.  All milestones achieved in jobs and life are celebrated when they are achieved, they are not averaged with all previous attempts.

I could go on, but I think I have made my point.  As we think about how we structure our policies, really how we structure our schools, if we truly want to prepare students for the "real world", it is important to be honest with ourselves about what that means.  In my real world, I love going to work every day, I collaborate with peers in almost everything that I do.  I talk A LOT during my day, I can listen to music when I need to relax, I have a lot of choice about how I complete my work, I have flexibility in my day, I receive positive feedback from my peers, but most importantly I am supported at home and I come home to a safe place every night.  Seek to know your students' current reality, but also consider the future reality you are preparing them for and question the alignment of your policies.