I equate college and career readiness to a state of being future ready. Future readiness for each student is directly tied to his individual goals for college (if he wants to go) and career desires.
A generation ago, teachers could expect that what they taught would last their students for a lifetime. Today, schools need to prepare students for more rapid economic and social changes than ever before, for jobs that have not yet been created, to use technologies that have not yet been invented and to solve social problems that have not yet come up.
Education, more often than not today, is more about going to school, being lectured all day, passing exams and holding a piece of paper that says you are qualified at the end. Sadly, when the real world hits our children who pass through this system, they realise that the skills used at work every day differ from what was taught at school. They are at a loss when faced with practical areas like financial education, writing skills and computer skills.
College and career readiness is a current topic in the education community and the world at large. It’s very important that students have a broad range of skills for once they leave public school, including: Knowledge and skills in school subjects especially mathematics, english, science and the social sciences. Social, emotional and academic competencies. Knowledge of the diverse range of post secondary options available to them.
I equate college and career readiness to a state of being future ready. Future readiness for each student is directly tied to his individual goals for college (if he wants to go) and career desires.
The following questions will have to be asked and the answers, gleaned: ‘Where are they going? What will they need to know how to do when they get there? Will they be ready?’
In my second year teaching, I had a student called Eddie. He was the class clown, always had a joke for every single situation, no matter how dire. Eddie was so frail and spoke with a high pitch whine that somehow made each joke he delivered incongruous. He was always someone’s fall guy in some scheme guaranteed to cause mischief. Eddie couldn’t sit still for more than five minutes and was unable to stop his mouth from running also.
I dreaded teaching Eddie’s class because I was his favorite patsy for his comedy. Then I deciphered carefully his needs and found that behind the banter was an extremely intelligent and delicate child. He loved comic books, just as I did, and we had some favourite superheroes in common. He, like me, was especially interested in the ones that had to do with the future.
I geared my lesson objectives towards imbibing the comic book characters and future events much to the delight of Eddie and the other boys. My time with that class grew to be one I looked forward to and no longer dreaded.
If I ever needed a lesson on ‘how to ignite the enthusiasm of students’, that was my teachable moment. Eddie eagerly participated in our maths lessons. He gave excellent suggestions on simulations on how the future could be and ideas that sparked genuine curiosity and interest in the learning that we were undertaking.
Other children in our schools can be like Eddie when we give them a reason to be enthusiastic about the future and future ready.
Adetola Salau; Educator / Speaker / Author/ Social Entrepreneur / Innovator
She is an Advocate of STEM Education and is Passionate about Education reform. She is an innovative thinker and strives for our society & continent as a whole to reclaim it’s greatness. She runs an educational foundation with the mission to transform education.
E-mail-:Carismalife4U@gmail.com
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