Page 157 - Microsoft Word - The Future of Learning April 2017.docx

Schools are moving into the space of giving young learners agency and responsibility for their world, rather than learners having all their decisions made for them. As such, the competencies and the associated skill sets are critical to their successful futures. Learners must come to terms with the consequences of their choices as well as enjoy the upside of that agency, rather than being saved from consequences by overindulgent parents, caregivers and educators. Learners must learn how to solve their own problems as they create them or as they are created for them.
It is important that educators, parents or caregivers do not continually rescue learners/children from their self-made consequences. Let them enjoy the satisfaction of jumping into their ‘learning pit’ and ‘learning’ their way out of it.
If a child misses their bus, how many of us, as parents or caregivers, would stop what we were doing, jump into the car, pick them up and drive them to where they need to be? In most first- world societies, the answer ‘yes’ would probably be greater than 70%. Taking risks, problem- solving and enjoying learning, where we can solve our own problems is a critical capability. If we do not allow our learners/children to run the risk of being independent, making mistakes and solving their own problems, they will never learn to manage risk for themselves.
The notion of consequences that follow our choice of actions means that our young people will become better problem-solvers as they experience the consequences of their choices, both inside and outside of school. As parents or caregivers, we need to reduce our micromanaging of our children's lives and saving them from every consequence of their actions.
We also need to educate parents and caregivers that coming into schools and berating the principal and/or educators because their children had experienced a brief part of the day where they were not happy, is unacceptable behaviour. Schools are places where learning happens. Sure, sometimes the child will be left out by their friends, but what better place is there to experience this and learn to reflect on that event, what caused it and how they can deal with that event when it happens next time. Schools are where we learn how to manages ourselves and live with others.
As educators, we are not responsible for each learner’s happiness!
If our young people never have time to daydream, to wonder or imagine, they are missing an essential aspect of their childhood. Allow them to be bored!
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