Finding the Future of Schools in the Past

The past couple of months the local radio station 94.1 FM KEMB-LP (streaming on the web at emmetsburg.biz) has focused on the book They Opened the Door, And Let My Future In by alocal author Helen Phalen Augustine about teachers' experiences in a one-room schoolhouse. Listening to these stories have made me think about the current system of teaching and learning in community and private schools, and how so many kids seem to get lost in the scheme.

It seems our schools are turning backwards in effective teaching. Each teacher has a specific and special way they teach and every child has a specific and special way they learn. Our current elementary school system pegs all kids of one age into the same classroom, with one teacher, regardless of the teacher's teaching style and regardless of the student's learning style. In this system, each year a child can either excel with the teacher or struggle.

Imagine if, instead of having grades with specific aged kids, classrooms were like a one-room schoolhouse of the future with one classroom that has a teacher whose specific teaching style works well with kids who can't sit still and listen for long periods of time and learn best in hands-on situations, and another classroom with a teacher and students who work best sitting, listening and doing work at a desk.

Each classroom has students ranging in ages from 6 to 11 years of age (first through sixth grades). Advanced kids still learn the same subjects as the younger, less advanced kids with more advanced projects, assignments and experiments. The advanced and older kids also work as peer teachers to help the younger kids learn the subjects. These kids learn social and communication skills, along with teamwork in a group of varied skills, talents, and ages. Skills that are so vital to their future learning and working careers. Skills that are lacking in the current teaching and learning environments we call K-12 school.