Once again, the virus has caused disruption to the education space; the question is whether the closure of schools will irrevocably damage the futures of a generation. Once again students fear for their future which will be handed down through the system in Summer 2021.
Exams by their nature can be quite an intimidating process. They can take even the most confident classroom candidate to a ball of self-doubt in just a glance at a past paper. This certainly used to be the case with my daughter when she was young; as I worked with her on the steps in the Exam Preparation Champion program however, she became less stressed and more focussed on all of the great things that she would be able to do with her qualifications.
Making the connection between exams and a future is something that many learning institutions struggle with. There is a noticeably clear hat-tip to the fact that historically, to be employed by someone you needed to be academically successful. It is arguable however as to whether that argument holds much water in the 21st century when technology has replaced many past expectations. There is no doubt in my mind that whilst the assessment and feedback process is useful to driving progress, it has even more use when it is purposefully and consistently linked to the learner’s aspirations.
This connection is often found lacking in the modern classroom. For example, students these days are not averse to declaring ‘You only want me to get that grade to make you look good’. Really? My answer is always the same ‘I want you to get that grade for yourself and your future; your actions don’t affect my future’. To support my words, I deliberately stepped out of the classroom and into JGEducate to enable me to break the limits and rules which often hold back progress and to drive students’ futures on an individual holistic basis.
The future in the 21st Century is not all dictated by qualifications and we need to upskill in those areas which have not been typically covered in the traditional curriculum. What is more, we need to instil these skills in the next generation. Now is not the time to worry about whether schools are open or closed , now is the time to teach students resilience, responsibility, collaborative skills, and such skills which will help them through whichever path they choose. Lockdown may be an opportunity to learn to live with no limits.
©JGE Inner Circle 2020