Goodbye 8th Graders :(

Well, today was a very fun and sad day for us teachers at the middle school. This morning we helped the 8th graders practice for the promotion ceremony from 9-12:30, and after we cleaned and helped organize flowers, etc. for the actual ceremony. I signed us ladies up to help with hair and makeup for any girls that needed an extra hand, so we were back at the middle school at 5:45 pm with beauty supplies. We did some hair curling, styling and makeup :) All the students looked very clean and grown up, it was a rare sight to see! During the ceremony the students were able to pass out roses to people in the crowd who helped them get to where they are now. We all received a few roses, it was very flattering to know that we had an impact on these kids... After the 2 hour ceremony we helped put away gowns and set up the stage for the dance- I was a DJ! It was fun to chaperone a dance for students we all knew:) I had a very good time. I saw Rachel and Alyssa out there jumping around for almost the entire night- nice moves ladies :) I was able to use them as examples for how slow dances should work (spacing, etc) and they were great sports about it! The dance ended at 11:00pm and it feels like 3 in the afternoon. The sun is still out and everyone is very much awake- strange.. Tomorrow we do not have to be at school until 9am so we can sleep in- which is nice. Alyssa will still be at the middle school teaching her 6th grade class and Rachel and myself will be at the elementary, and high school hopefully (watching classes). This was our last night with the 8th graders- they have no more school. I don't think it has hit me that I will not be seeing all their faces at school tomorrow.. I miss them already...

The boys were able to go dog sledding tonight and they were already asleep when I got home, so I will let them tell you about that tomorrow. For each of our last blog posts (and this is mine) we have been asked to define what it means to be well educated. I personally believe that some of the most valuable education is taught outside the classroom. So here I go..

After my experience in Barrow, Alaska I want to approach this question from a different angle. Rather then attempting to define what it means to be well-educated, should we instead be asking about the purposes of education? A majority could state that the priority should be intellectual development. However, I believe that the main focus of education should be to produce competent, caring, loving, and lovable people. This leads to my next question, "how do we know if education has been successful?" This question can not be truly answered until we have asked what education is suppose to be successful at. I see many students at Hopson Middle School who, in my opinion, are competent, caring, loving and lovable people. Does this mean they are well educated students?

So do we evaluate people or their education? I have learned that, in Barrow, it can be easy to hire someone to teach based on their education. However, if they have a great resume does it mean they will be a good teacher here? I don't believe so. Yes they could be, but I feel the judgement lies more on the person than their education in this situation. So does the phrase well-educated refer to a quality of the schooling you received, or to something about you? Does it denote what you were taught, or what you learned (and remember)? If the term applies to what you now know and can do, you could be poorly educated despite having received a top-notch education. However, if the term refers to the quality of your schooling, then we’d have to conclude that a lot of “well-educated” people sat through lessons that barely registered. All these questions further support that I am still discovering (and learning) what it truly means to be well educated, and frequently find myself asking more questions...

Each school has assessments that tests standards of excellence (evidence, relevance, point of view, etc.). To offer the best answer to the original question would be that to meet this criteria, in my opinion, is as good a way as any to show that one is well-educated. It’s not only the ability to raise and answer questions that matters, but the motivation to do so. For that matter, any set of intellectual objectives, any description of what it means to think deeply and critically, should be accompanied by a reference to one’s interest or intrinsic motivation to do such thinking. I agree with John Dewey that the goal of education is more education. To be well-educated, in my opinion, is to have the desire as well as the means to make sure that learning never ends.

Now my brain is fried and I must sleep.. :) I hope this made some sense to you all.

Much love,

Molly