Contrary to what the otherwise sensible Robert J. Samuelson may think, the dropout crisis isn’t a problem of motivated students. As it has been pointed out in the book Mind in the Making and by teachers such as John Taylor Gatto, kids are motivated to learn. The bigger problems lie elsewhere: Low-quality instruction; teachers who don’t care about the lives of kids; abysmal curricula; poor school leadership and an education system in which low expectations (for both students, teachers, administrators and other players) is the norm. But an often-undiscussed problem also lies with making curricula relevant to the lives of kids. Children must be taught why they must learn to read and do calculus equations; just as importantly, they must also be shown that learning is fun.
Watch this video by Houston-based school reform group Children at Risk about the importance of showing kids the relevance of learning and consider how you can help kids understand the importance of education. Also, think about how we can improve curricula in order for kids to enjoy learning.
