Before I end my formal education I want to...

I recently watched a TED Talk by Candy Chang where she spoke about turning a dilapidated house in New Orleans into a living and breathing chalkboard for community members to share their thoughts by giving them a fill in the blank sentence, "Before I die I want to ______________." As I watched, I was struck by the statement regarding how powerful our public spaces can be when we are given an opportunity to have a voice and share more with one another. I immediately made the connection to schools and thought that this would be a phenomenal concept for classroom teachers and schools.

Too often do we get so caught up in teaching our curriculum and standards, preparing students for mandated standardized assessments, and the everyday workings of schools, that we neglect to pay attention to the community within our schools.

Education is about relationships, exploration, and discovery. Too often, however, do these become secondary to preparing students for life beyond the walls of our schools.

As the second semester approaches for this year, I would like to challenge all educators to turn one of their classroom walls into a chalkboard where students have a voice and can share with one another. I challenge everyone to take a few moments everyday and find out more about their students and what THEY want to learn.

Who knows? We could very well learn something from them. That wouldn't be too bad would it?