This past Saturday, we had yet another great time collaborating with young tween and teen scholars from all around the Houston area. We not only enjoyed coaching them, we also learned from them as well. And boy, did they give us some interesting snapshots of what school looks like through their eyes.

Say what you will about today's middle and high schoolers, but one thing I've found is that they are quite intuitive and inspiring when given the chance to speak unconditionally from the heart. 

Our last training session of the day was called "Talk Back." We introduced to them to the idea that they are "consumers" of education and that when their quest for understanding get's shot down by someone in authority (as quite a few of them noted), they do have options.

When asked the question, "If you could ask your teachers to change one thing, what would it be?", here are some of the responses we heard:
  • "Please slow down. You're cramming so much in during class time that it makes it hard to pass my tests."
  • "Please don't embarrass or shame me when I ask a question or don't know the right answer. You make me feel stupid."
  • "Stop talking to us about things that have nothing to do with the subject matter. It's a waste of time."
  • "I wish you would try to relate to us as kids more."
Ever heard any of this before? Did it ever happen to you when you were in school?

Trust me, I absolutely LOVE and commend teachers on all grade levels! I heartily sympathize with the stress of having what can be a very demanding and stressful job. From the frustration of trying to manage students who misbehave and contaminate the learning process to the frustration of never-ending assessments that pivot on your students mastering unrealistic amounts of information in an unbelievable amount of time. I get it. But this MUST change! 

How do we change it? I say by starting a revolution in the classroom, beginning with empowering the student to be responsible, accountable, and to think and act like a consumer of education and not a victim of it.

What's your point of view?