I’ve joked about this idea for years. Picture teachers in NASCAR jumpsuits riddled with brand advertisements. Or think of teachers leading in classrooms like pro golfers walking the links with sponsors emblazoned on their hats and shirts. Or ponder master teachers doing endorsements like Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm.
Seems crazy, doesn’t it?! But what if…?
In our vocabulary and parlance, we play sports and we play instruments, but we go to school. The action and agency of those verbs are very different. When young children simulate school, however, we say that they are playing school. Many times an older sibling wrangles younger siblings or neighbors to sit in rows and columns of desks to take lessons from a chalk board or white board. The organizer almost always plays the role of teacher – the one in charge, the creator of the lessons. What if we scaled playing school and empowered more students to stay in those roles of being in charge and creating lessons? What if instead of saying, “I go to school,”which can sound so passive, we talked of playing school? And what if folks began to speak of playing school with the fervor and excitement with which we talk of playing sports and playing instruments? In the long term, such a shift in the way we talk could lead us to value teachers more like we value professional athletes and musicians…don’t you think?
When my sons are engaged in something they love and I try to end it, they say, “Just 5 more minutes please!”
One of my favorite moments in a classroom occurs when no one hears the bell because all are engrossed in what they are learning and doing.
I cannot tell you how many people recently are asking me, “So, are you counting the days until school ends?” Without any intent of obnoxiousness, I tend to answer, “Actually, Camp Sea Gull taught me not to count the days, but to make the days count.” As excited as I am for my next career chapter, I am loving what I am doing. I may not even hear the bell that signals summer vacation for the non-administrative types. I hope I am making the days count! What if we lived in such a way that we spread this model – to make the days count? What if we looked forward to the NOW, and taught students to do the same?
What would class and school look like…if at the “end” they begged for “Just 5 more minutes please!”
As a child, I LOVED school. I still love school. Interestingly, though, I can remember often telling others that my favorite things about school were lunch, recess, and P.E. I still hear students repeat this refrain. My own first-grade son retells events from lunch, recess, and PE far more often than other details. Is it the freedom to move around, choose, and explore? Is it the time to talk more freely and process one’s tales and experiences? What makes lunch, recess, and PE so popular? What if we amplified the bright spots of lunch, recess, and PE? How might we copy success and sprinkle the magic of these moments across a curriculum and schedule?
“Where are all the playgrounds?,” asked Mrs. Simpson as the admissions director toured her family around the school campus.
“Oh, we’ve removed the play equipment due to safety concerns,” responded Mr. Cruse. “We trust that children can find time and place to play outside of school time. Without the equipment, there’s much less risk of anyone tragically getting hurt. This aligns with our risk-management futuring at School.”
“Thanks for your time, Mr. Cruse. We’ve seen enough of campus. We need to be moving along now.” Mrs. Simpson stepped toward the route to the parking lot as Susie’s grip on her mother’s hand shifted from a frightened squeeze to one of deep gratitude.
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How much did the hypothetical scenario shock you? Unfortunately, it may not be so hypothetical (see here).
What if we thought of “playgrounds” as metaphors for social media tools in schools? What if we thought of “playgrounds” as allegorical symbols for smart phones in schools? What if we thought….
What “playgrounds” are we outlawing in many schools when we allow for legal considerations to trump educational ones?
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