Back to School: What Are We Teaching Our Children?
- Dr. Eddie & Dr. Rita
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
It’s October and once again the back to school ritual has started, new shoes, backpacks, notebooks. It’s the somber giving up of somewhat loser summer routines, to fall back into the rigid timing of school buses, school drop-offs, planned lunch breaks and pickups. Last month was the month of logistical messes –– reestablishing routines can take some time. By October, we’ve settled in our routines, having already evaluated which we need to keep and which we need to change.
But when do we evaluate what we’re routinely teaching? When is the right time to question that?
Many say that our education system is anachronistic, because it was designed to equip youth to sit in factories, sit still, be productive, and follow orders. The Waldorf and Montessori schools were revolutions in this productivity based education.
Is it time for an education revolution?
As someone with an expertise in US education (Dr. Eddie) and training in leadership and the development world (Dr. Rita) one thing stands out. We are training our leaders to face VUCA environments. If facing VUCA, short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity environments is what we are equipping leaders to do in the face of the world of the future, isn’t it what we should be equipping youth to do? Aren’t they even more likely to face this future world that we are equipping biz and international leaders to face?
Because the education system adapts quite slowly to the times, what’s often missing is really preparing kids for the challenges and opportunities in the 21st century. As a decades-long educator, I (Dr. Eddie), have been advocating for preparing our youth for global cultural competence, because the world is getting smaller and as communications on one hand bridges us closer, in other ways it strengthens biases and keeps us apart.
In the high school environments we navigate, sometimes it feels like we are more concerned about whether our students are late to class than we are about helping them seize and create opportunities in the changing world coming their way. Our current education is leaving the majority of our kids underskilled, unprepared, and in some cases, incompetent.
So, in the face of the limitations and gaps of our education system, we must equip ourselves to provide our youth with what we see they need, in our family time. This can be hard with competing priorities, so here are some simple tools that you can infuse even in a 15-minute conversation.
Communication. This 5-min video on nonviolent communication is a great, quick overview. How can I choose connection over being right right now?
Emotional intelligence. The Emotions Wheel: pull it up to identify what emotions you feel in the moment. To play a language game, you could work with a Spanish one if your young person is learning Spanish in school. What do I feel right now?
Problem solving in Complexity. This 8-min video on the Cynefin model invites one to solve different problems, differently. How you solve the problem is rooted in what kind of problem it is. Is the problem I’m trying to solve simple, complicated, complex, or chaotic?
Creativity. Try some drawing games to foster creativity and collaboration. What can I create next?
Autonomy. This 5-min video on Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset, helps youth (and adults!) build autonomy by self-reflecting on what they think is possible, or not. It helps frame failure in terms of attempts, versus talent. How can I do better next time?
Financial literacy. This video teaches you some tips about how to speak about financial literacy with your kids. Here are more resources, too: Financial Literacy for All, Budgeting 101, Stock Market 101.
Imagination and Inner Discernment. You can create a vision board with youth to help them envision the life they want and tap into their deeper knowing. What do I think and feel is best for me?What future can I imagine?
Fuel their curiosity. Create an environment where asking questions is safe and honored. Invite them to join #AskAnything sessions with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Rita talks! First Saturday of the month, 12:30 Eastern, 9:30 Pacific. What am I curious about?
Most adults are preparing our youth for the future, but we do it thinking of what we were missing for the future we faced, instead of what they are missing for the future they are facing. When we ask, "What are we teaching our children?", the answers must align to futures knowing that information skills, strategy, and critical thinking are most precious, and simple jobs that execute repetitive tasks are dying the fastest. We need to think more critically about the future they are facing.