Ordinarily I avoid the use of the auxiliary verb “should.” Somehow, during a stream of consciousness moment, I fell into this. Perhaps it’s a chant or a slam poetry piece.
School – It Should Not Be
It should not be that
Children are made to feel embarrassed, humiliated, or shamed.
It should not be that
Children fear making mistakes.
It should not be that
Children have little time to talk and move.
It should not be that
Children sit for long periods of time.
It should not be that
Children get only tiny bits of outdoor time in nature (if at all).
It should not be that
Children learn to respond, robot-like, to loud buzzers.
It should not be that
Children are deprived of art and music.
It should not be that
Children are fed unhealthy, unappetizing food.
It should not be that
Children eat their meals in a hurry or in silence.
It should not be that
Children are seen as receivers and not sharers of information.
It should not be that
Children’s ideas are not taken seriously.
It should not be that
Children are treated like numbers, rather than young human beings.
It should not be that
Children feel hungry, tired and restless.
It should not be that
Children are made to feel incompetent.
It should not be that
Children are told that learning must be hard.
It should not be that
Children are isolated or ignored.
It should not be that
Children spend hours preparing for tests.
It should not be that
Children are given standardized tests.
It should not be that
Children are required to do homework.
It should not be that
Children are trained to learn in unnatural ways.
It should not be that
Children’s play is removed from learning.
It should not be that
Children sit in crowded, cluttered, dilapidated classrooms.
It should not be that
Children’s days are removed from their lives and community.
It should not be that
Children must “cover their answers.”
It should not be that
Children compete with their classmates.
School – It Should Be
It should be that
Children feel worthy, secure and safe.
It should be that
Children see mistakes as learning opportunities.
It should be that
Children spend most of their day involved in conversations as they create, solve problems, and inquire.
It should be that
Children move about their classroom, freely and intentionally.
It should be that
Children spend long periods outdoors in nature.
It should be that
Children experience human voices, quiet and nature sounds throughout their day.
It should be that
Children experience music and art every day.
It should be that
Children eat nutritious, delicious food.
It should be that
Children’s meal times are relaxed and are opportunities for them to be together.
It should be that
Children openly share their ideas.
It should be that
Children’s ideas are taken seriously.
It should be that
Children’s health, both emotional and physical, is always considered.
It should be that
Children’s needs are what drive schedules and routines.
It should be that
Children understand that learning is a life-long process.
It should be that
Children love learning and see its value to their lives.
It should be that
Children feel that they belong and are trusted.
It should be that
Children spend hours digging deep into what interests them.
It should be that
Children and teachers, together, assess their learning.
It should be that
Children spend time at home with family and at play.
It should be that
Children’s learning is geared to the way they learn naturally.
It should be that
Children play—a lot.
It should be that
Children experience comfortable, beautiful classroom environments.
It should be that
Children experience their community and their lives as part of their every day curriculum.
It should be that
Children help each other in sharing information and ideas—and answers.
It should be that
Children view each other as friends, helpers, and partners in learning.