The State of Education: Inspired Teaching's Remarks at the American News Women's Club

This piece by Founder and President Aleta Margolis features updated remarks from the American News Women’s Club “State of Education” panel discussion on October 4, 2017.

On a panel at the American News Women’s Club, I shared three headlines from the news this past year:

1- Trump Offering Free One-Way Tickets to Africa, Mexico for Those who Wanna Leave America

2- Immigrants to be Given £8,500 upon Arrival to Boost Economy

3- Iceland to Host New Year’s Eve Party for Asylum Seekers after Fundraising Campaign on Social Media

What do you think when you hear these headlines? Anything sound suspicious? Do the sources look credible?

Using your knowledge of current events, your past experiences with credible and suspicious news sources, and your critical thinking and research skills, you would surely be able to figure out which of the articles were “fake news,” and which was the only real story. (For those interested: the third headline is the only real one.)

Unfortunately, our current education system is not doing a good job preparing young people to analyze what they see and hear, and to think critically. A 2016 study out of Stanford University showed that over 80 percent of middle school students could not differentiate sponsored content from an unbiased news article. The same study showed that over 80 percent of high school students readily accepted a doctored photograph as fact, despite the fact that it had no attribution. Why is it that so few young people are able to think critically? The answer lies in the current state of–and approach to–education in this country.

When people talk about education, whether professional journalists are reporting or parents are talking to each other about their kids’ school, the conversation tends to focus on things like traditional public vs. charter schools, or class size, or facilities and funding, or graduation requirements, or the pros and cons of content standards, or who’s going to be the next superintendent or chancellor. All of these things matter, of course.

However, there’s a different lens through which we might discuss education, something that’s rarely discussed, but matters greatly: pedagogy. Pedagogy is not a word that is particularly prevalent in the news, but it should be. Pedagogy focuses on how we teach–because it’s not just what we teach that matters, but how we teach it.

I am a social entrepreneur and an education changemaker, but I am first and foremost a teacher. For nearly 30 years I have taught young children through graduate students, and, through Center for Inspired Teaching, I’ve taught teachers–from those just beginning their careers to experienced veterans. The children I’ve taught, and the ones our Inspired Teachers teach here in DC and in other places in the country, represent a diverse group in terms of background, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. And though demographics certainly play a role in determining student outcomes, all children benefit when they get to go to a school that focuses not on compliance, but engagement.

Research shows that less than half of American middle and high school students are engaged in school. Not because mathematics and literature and chemistry and history are not interesting, but because the way we teach is, for the most part, not interesting. And while asking children to be engaged instead of compliant or obedient sounds reasonable enough, it’s actually a radical notion. As in the past, the vast majority of systems in place in schools today reinforce compliance–on the part of students and teachers. There are obvious examples, such as stickers, star charts, and other systems that offer students extrinsic rewards for completing classwork and behaving properly, and demerits and detention if they do not. But our reliance on compliance goes much deeper–even the way we teach mathematics reinforces compliance and discourages creative thinking.

For instance, most adults remember that A2 + B2 = C2. However, very few would be able to explain why this formula works. This is because most of us were taught to memorize and apply the formula, but we weren’t encouraged to wonder why the formula worked in the first place. And that’s not because we aren’t smart people. And it’s not because our teachers aren’t good. It’s because our teachers are playing the role they are expected to play.

Center for Inspired Teaching strives to shift the norm in education from compliance- to engagement-based, by cultivating changemaking educators who authentically engage their students as active learners and empathetic critical thinkers. We teach teachers–novices as well as experienced veterans–to shift their role from the conventional role, information provider, to Instigator of Thought™. When teachers challenge students to figure out information for themselves (whether solving math problems or discerning real news from fake), students become actively engaged in school, their natural curiosity and sense of wonder are sparked, and they are set up for success, not only in school but in their communities and careers.

In our rapidly changing world — a world where 65% of children will grow up to work jobs that don’t exist today — we cannot afford to continue educating for compliance over engagement. When I originally shared these remarks at the American News Women’s Club “State of Education” panel, a fascinating discussion ensued, not only about the current state of education, but also about the panelists’ and audience members’ hopes and expectations for its future state. I look forward to continuing that conversation here; please do share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.