The Central Task of Education

Many in our government seem to have forgotten that our role in education is to produce a citizenship that has the ability to learn. They (the Powers that Be) feel that the role of education is to cram a set of standards into students' heads and then make sure that they learned them. 

I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent woman, but that wouldn't be the case if I'd stopped learning after I graduated from college many years ago. I have the desire and the ability to learn everyday of my life. 

My parents, Sunday School teachers, classroom teachers, community leaders, and friends all helped to instill in me a great desire to learn.

I learned to love books from my mother who continues to be an avid reader.

I learned to travel from my father who spent over 30 years in the United States Army.

I learned to love the sound and nuances of words from my Mrs. Speck, my favorite English teacher and the woman who was my inspiration for wanting to be an English teacher myself.

I learned kindness and patience from my Sunday School teachers.

I learned the idea that it really does take a community of humans to raise a child from the leaders on the Army bases where I grew up.

My friends taught me loyalty, friendship, honesty, and how to get over a broken heart.

I'm still learning even today...if I have a question, I ask or do some research.

That's what I want my sixth-graders to learn this week; it is only incidental if they learn what a personal pronoun is or how to write a great hook.