For him to take risks without retribution. That he'll be given opportunities to explore his curiosity. That he will be encouraged to try 4/n— John Stevens (@Jstevens009) August 8, 2016
John Stevens' tweets (above) got me thinking and primed for day one back. This summer has made me think a great deal about what is important to teach our children. So far none of the truly important had anything to do with content. A brief list:Is taught the essentials while being given a platform to advocate for what is right, not to merely learn compliance. 6/n— John Stevens (@Jstevens009) August 8, 2016
1. Understanding and acceptance of all people
2. Respect for authority
3. How to highlight and rectify injustice
4. Respect oneself
5. How to debate an issue without resorting to character defamation
6. How to value someone else's argument even if you disagree
7. How to compromise
8. Critically interpret information and data
As I write this list, I can't help but be reminded of Robert Fulgram's All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. In it, he creates a short list of everything people need to know to make the world's a better place. As a parent, I've tried hard to instill these characteristics in my child. There's always room to improve.
Just a reminder to myself that as we enter the school each day, these are the priorities. Curriculum should be supplied to support the goals of raising critical, involved, and educated citizens. We also desperately need more role models that can highlight these virtues.
