Longer Days Ahead?

Dear Ed Inquiry,

Do you think it is going to be necessary to extend the school day to fit in all the extra work that the new rigorous standards will entail?

Sincerely,

Longer Days Ahead

Dear Longer Days Ahead,

It would seem that extending the school day would offer our kids more opportunities to learn and the teachers more time to teach, and why wouldn’t that be a formula for success?

Here’s why: adding more of the same won’t solve the main issues education faces. 

Maybe you will find shiny, bright faces slanting forward in elementary school, eager to soak up every last ounce of information. Maybe.

However, taking classrooms full of unmotivated, tired, bored, and struggling learners and adding more time to their already tedious days is a recipe for disaster. 

What our kids need is not adding more time to their days. What our kids need is an educational system where individualism is celebrated, not just by the teachers (who usually do a bang up job of this, by the way), but by the entire system.  

Think of it this way, if you are not effective at your job, and your boss simply adds more hours without adding specific supports to help you hone your skills, are you likely to improve or grow frustrated to the point you give up?

Sincerely,

Ed Inquiry