The buckle-down attitude is counterproductive

We’ve all heard that sometimes we have to do things that aren’t fun. But when used in the context of education, is this helping or hurting students?

While I do agree that there are things in life you have to do that aren’t fun, learning should not be one of them. This attitude reinforces the idea that the learning in and of itself can’t be fun or gratifying, just something you have to do to have skills later in life. We’re training students not to care about their learning, not to invest in it, not to enjoy it, just to put their heads down and do it.

If their only motivation is that someone told them to, what are they going to do when they get to the real world and the only person who can direct them is them? Are they going to want to continue their educations beyond the high school into college or graduate school?

I’m not saying every moment of school should be a joy. But if students can’t find something to enjoy about learning, they’re just not going to care. And they aren’t going to go looking for something to enjoy if we’re telling them there’s nothing to find.

This story was originally published December 26, 2016 at 7:56 PM with the headline "The buckle-down attitude is counterproductive."