What Does it Mean to Succeed?

 

What does it mean for a child to “succeed” in their education? This might differ depending on where in the world they receive their education. Here in the United States, we talk a lot about equity; about making sure each student has a fair chance to succeed. We also talk a lot about how socioeconomic status influences a child’s likelihood of succeeding academically. But what is it about education that we value? We like to claim that we value actual learning – the ability to gain knowledge and apply it. We claim that we value instilling morals of good citizens and good people. Perhaps this is true, and perhaps we achieve these goals to some extent. However, when we look at the day-to-day experience of students, perhaps there are some ideologies we are placing too much value on without even realizing it.

For example, if our top priority is for children to gain knowledge, why is our primary determent for measuring that knowledge based on a grading system? At least in my experience, grades have served as a way for me to do the bare minimum amount of work in order to achieve a certain level of status (an A). Throughout my education, I knew exactly what I needed to do to achieve that A, and I did not see a need to go beyond that, because there was no grade beyond and A that would equate to my learning. Therefore, I became a star student without actually doing much. One great blog post that speaks more in this is found here.

Additionally, we tend to value status against our peers. A few years ago, I worked in a Kindergarten classroom as a teacher’s aide. In this classroom we separated students into groups based on their abilities. Already, at the young age of 5, students were being told if they were “gifted” or “low” in reading. We also separated them into “normal” and “advanced” groups for math. While we obviously did not use these terms when speaking directly to them, they figured out if they were the “smart” kids or not.

Research has shown that students who are grouped by ability end up experiencing negative side effects. Particularly for the low performing students, they begin to see themselves in this category, and do not believe they can surpass this label. While we claim that all students can succeed, some of our societal habits make it difficult for students to really believe this. Perhaps looking at the example of a small Eastern European country could help.

In the book, The Smartest Kids in the World, author, Amanda Ripley, talks about students in Poland. Although this country has historically struggled with poverty, they have seen miracles in their academic achievement. One example given in the book is of an American student that moves to Poland to experience learning in their schools. On one of his first days, he is invited up to the blackboard to solve a math problem and ends up feeling humiliated when he solves in incorrectly. While he carries this feeling of embarrassment, he soon starts noticing that other students do not get embarrassed when they mess up. He also realizes the teacher expects all of the students to learn the same material without holding anyone back or separating them into high and low groups. In fact, in the Polish education system, they refuse to hold a student back or separate them from their peers until the age of 16 (unlike in the United States when we begin placing students in boxes of ability at age 5). In Poland, if a student falls behind, herds of teachers are sent to help the student achieve. However, they are all expected to achieve.

 

Perhaps we can learn a few lessons from Poland in our efforts to help each child succeed. First, we can learn that academic achievement can be attained regardless of socioeconomic status. Second, we can learn that what we learn is far more important than how well we perform, and how well we perform is not tied to our individual worth. Third, we can learn that labeling students creates bigger hurdles and feelings of self-doubt and is not actually helpful.

Therefore, in our efforts to help all students achieve, let’s start by reestablishing what success really us.