“All I ever wanted to do was write books. Why are you making me do algebra?”

From as early as senior kindergarten, where I had only the most basic comprehension of spelling and sentence structure, I knew I wanted to write. Words came naturally to me and I found this level of satisfaction in writing that I could not find anywhere else. I remember beaming when I showed my Grade 1 teacher that I had used two pages for the first time on a single journal entry. As much as I enjoyed other subjects and learning in general, I wanted desperately to improve my craft. When I got home from school, I would bind pages and pages of printer paper together with scotch tape and write these mini books about everything from bunnies to superheroes. I had a clear passion for literature. I did well in math, but you couldn’t hope to catch me attempting algebra problems for fun in my spare time. Until now, I never considered the possibility of student choice in learning. I never questioned the fact that we were being told what to learn, whether we like it or not, because the leaders of our country had decided that it was important. While I agree that receiving a well-rounded education in multiple subject areas is necessary, I want to explore some of the suggestions made in the text for student-directed learning and propose my own idea for how schools might foster both a child’s natural tendencies towards a particular subject or subjects, and the need for a balanced education.

In Chapter 4: Exploring Inquiry and Interdisciplinary Models, student-centered inquiry learning is discussed. This pedagogy encourages a shift to where “…students are posing and pursing their own questions” (97) as opposed to being forced to answer teacher-proposed questions on topics they may or may not be interested in. When teachers prepare inquiry learning activities, they allow neither curriculum nor their own interests to interfere, and they actively seek to ‘“go where the kids’ interests are”’ (97). From a young age, students are already getting an idea of where their academic strengths and interests lie. Since we are all in a program where the selection of a certain discipline is required, I want to know: how long did it take you to realize that you enjoyed your subject area? How long does it take for an English person to realize their love of literature, and how long does it take for a Science person to realize their competence in math?

With this in mind, I want to know why we need to suffer twelve years before we finally get a substantial choice in what we learn. I realize that many people don’t recognize their occupational callings right away (I’m still confused…) but we at least have an idea of where we thrive, and what we like. Why not have students as early as elementary school spend half the day learning a variety of subjects, and then allow them to branch off and pursue the subject they are most passionate about for the second half of the day? In the second half of the day, students could explore topics of interest using a model similar to inquiry learning and have the opportunity to truly master their craft under the tutelage of teachers who also share that passion. As further support for a program such as this, the text also discusses the use of Genius Hour and mentions its previous success in the workplace:  “Another example of student-centered inquiry is Genius Hour. This is a grassroots movement inspired by Daniel Pink’s (2011) observation that employees were much more productive and creative when they were given free time to follow their own interests” (my emphasis, 102). I highlighted the terms “productive” and “creative” here because these are two qualities that we have been discussing as the very top of the hierarchy of knowledge. If students are given the opportunity to explore the topics they actually want to explore, there is a much greater chance that they will rise above memorization of concepts that they won’t remember or care about the next day, to being so engaged that they actually want to create something new out of the knowledge they have acquired.

It’s also important to note that students are not bound to one subject for the second half of the day, either. The student may choose a subject for that day that merely satisfies curiosity. Even if some students do not have the same level of passion for a subject area that I had, they are given the opportunity to find that passion by receiving the freedom to explore whichever subject they want, to whatever extent they want.

This might be a little bold to propose…but maybe if students were given a chance like this, they might even have less difficulty choosing a career path in the future.

Call me crazy! It’s just an idea!

But all I can say is that if I had been given the time to nurture my English and creative writing brain the way I had wanted, I probably would have saved myself a lot of time suffering in biology and chemistry thinking I was going to be an orthodontist…

I suppose there are some who are just better suited for it than others. So why not roll with it?

Another kindergarten shot! And of course, I'm the one on the far right who is apparently fascinated by the peace sign. Even from this age you could sense the creative soul waiting to be unleashed!