Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash
Have you ever purchased a house as new construction? Have you ever watched construction companies build one? I have visited many construction sites and viewed the construction process many a time. My grandfather owned his own construction company. and as a young child, I was always visiting his sites.
As an adult, I purchased several homes and watched them built from the ground up. I have watched as foundations were poured many, many times. A large rectangular hole is dug into the ground. Footings are placed in the space to support the architecture of the home. Next, the wet concrete is poured into the base of the building.
After this concrete dries, more is poured in to create the walls of the home. When these parts of the foundation have dried, the construction company waterproofs the area to prevent leaking. Next, drainage pipes are placed and the concrete flooring is poured.
While the foundation is not a very exciting part of construction, it is key to holding up the rest of the beautiful parts of the house. A crack in a foundation spells disaster. Without a sturdy and well-crafted foundation, the building can have flooding or lack enough support to hold the rest of the home.
Education is the foundation for our future. Teachers are digging the holes, setting footers, and pouring the concrete needed to support the framework of our future society. Each day, teachers take small actions that help students build the skill sets needed for the future. While these skills may not be used in the moment, their foundation will help to create and support our vision for society.
Consider the development of the covid-19 vaccine. Did those scientists learn everything they used to create the vaccine in that moment? No, of course not. They applied many diverse skills sets which had been learned in classrooms throughout their entire lives.
From collaboration to critical-thinking to problem-solving to creativity, these scientists were using their foundational knowledge to solve a worldwide problem under tremendous pressure. Somewhere along their path, they had developed grit and determination, and they imagined that a solution was possible.
Fortunately, they were successful. Their skills did not magically appear in the moment. These scientists were trained with these skills throughout their lives. This is the impact of what educators do.
Skills like these are built in fifth grade classrooms across the country. Surely, I jest. No, I do not. Teachers introduce and build these skill sets on a daily basis. For example, I recently had students create a zoo of the animals found in the wildlife refuge of the Korean DMZ. Sounds cute and fun, doesn’t it? Well, this cute little project entailed developing many different skill sets that will support our future.
Students first had to research an animal of their choice. They learned how to gather information, use reliable resources, and filter facts. These are crucial skills in today’s world. Afterwards, students wrote a paragraph. I taught them how to select main points, organize information, and communicate their information clearly.
I then required students to participate in a peer editing session. Students peer-reviewed each other’s work and gave feedback on how their writing could be improved to be more clear to the reader. Our final step was to edit and finalize the paragraphs using suggestions from others. In addition, students designed a picture of the animal in its habitat. Are these not skills employees in today’s workforce utilize each and every day? Are these not skills we want students to have for our future?
Yet, no one will ever say, oh yes I learned that skill when we did that DMZoo. Just like no one ever says, yes this beautiful home is held up by a strong foundation. No, instead people admire the final product. The windows, the open floor plan, or the exquisite master bath are showcased. Yet, these features are all only possible due to the solid concrete underneath.
At the end of a school day, students are often asked, “What did you do in school today?” As they shrug their shoulders and say “Nothing,” understand teaching of these foundational skills are not always visible to the naked eye. Teachers create activities to help children learn to think critically and enjoy learning to think critically.
Educators inspire students to learn to use their imagination and creativity, like the covid-19 scientists. We place students in groups to create slideshows so that they learn how to collaborate, problem-solve, and present information. We ask students to read literature and write about it so that they know how to analyze text and write critically. These skills build mental capabilities. These skills build the foundation which will support the students in their future roles and challenges.
Like in home construction, watching the day to day aspect of educating is not very thrilling. Building fundamental skill sets reaps no “ooos and ahhhs”. Yet, these are necessary to support our future. Society needs for our students to have strong foundational skills.
Like a house, society relies on education as its support system. Without a strong foundation, society can lose its strength.