The Untapped Potential of Student

My illustrious colleague, Mr. Hansen (a.k.a. Hansen), and I launched a class this year called "Innovation and Creation."  The title came from a lack of imagination, really.  We didn't know for sure what to call it. "Blow the Doors off School"? "Do Something Awesome"? "Make Money and People Happy, Too"? Nothing seemed to fit because we wanted the title wide enough to support students in almost any venture, but we needed it narrow enough to give students an idea of the class and gain administrator support.

The premise of the class came from Hansen and I being consistently impressed by the breadth and depth of passions in the conversations we were having with our junior level students. They expressed interest in all kinds of issues surrounding them, some personal, some communal, some national or international.  We talked about the role of the arts and self-realization, the limitations of the industrial model of education, the process of maturation, the need of society to build and promote healthy institutions and practices. We talked about concerns they had about the world they were inheriting, but also about the beauty and opportunities that surrounded them.

All these topics had one thing in common: classroom attention to them was limited. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, not the teacher, the student, the administration.  It seemed more a simple product of the inertia of traditional education conceived in curricular units and conformist values, ruled by the bell and judged by standardized tests. There are a lot of good intentions and good results from this approach.

As a result of these conversations, Hansen and I asked a simple question: what would happen if we were able to provide students with the last two hours of the day to do whatever they wanted? "Whatever they wanted" was a phrase that came directly out of the context of these powerful conversations with students, so it wasn't an embrace of anarchy but an empowerment of freedom of inquiry and expression, a liberation of time and space.  It was a phrase to return autonomy to these young adults. And with freedom comes variety.

In the past 12 weeks our students have brainstormed, built, created, planned, supported, researched, painted, communicated, fixed and written projects that represent the whole range of human experience.

One student traveled to Milwaukee to conduct interviews with high school athletes in order to produce a short film highlighting the potential of her generation.  Follow her statewide campaign to provide a platform for young voices of change on Instagram at #morethananathletewi. She is inspired by Lebron James's use of influence for the benefit of others.

Another student was interested in learning about growing his online presence. He wondered how content goes viral, how to get followers on social media, and how to turn that following into influence.  He researched, experimented, and during third quarter, he grew an online following from 0 to 50,000. He has also investigated a future career in the dental field through research, job shadows and interviews. Follow him on TikTok as yokodaa.

Two other students are working with their cross country coach and local organizations to put on a community event to gather supplies and money for the local school food pantry.  They have a Facebook Event at On Track to Pack the Pantry - with Seeley's Steps.

Another student has taken a '79 Chevy frame, added a motor, rebuilt just about everything and plans on adding a camper to the back in order to explore the great American West after graduation.

One student has been pursuing a career in nursing by job shadowing and preparing for nursing licensure.

One student is publishing an independent book of collected works and exploring the power her voice as an advocate for the disabled through social media and community organizations. Follow her on Twitter at @_petitecrivain_

Three students are engaged in a variety of artistic endeavors: murals, technique practice, commissioned pieces.

Another student has continued to develop her photography portfolio while preparing for her "dream college".  See her work at https://caitlinmariephotography.myportfolio.com/.

Three other students competed in regional and state level National History Day competitions. In theirdown time, one also continued to develop her passion of cooking and baking; another her hobbies of  sewing and knitting; and the third was able to take on extra responsibility at work and was promoted to manager.

Perhaps the most outstanding element of the class, however, has been the supportive community that has developed in the class.  Students have broken down social barriers, supported each other in their passions and affirmed each other in a deeply vulnerable and assuring way.

Finally, a couple students have worked on what might be the most long lasting and important project in their lives, themselves.  One student has worked on developing healthy habits that have lead to a positive self-esteem she hasn't had in years.  Another student felt so supported and comfortable in class that she was able to express publicly her experiences with childhood trauma for the first time.  The response of love and support from her peers was beautiful.

To be sure, not all the students have benefited from their freedom.  Some have lied about their projects.  Some say one thing and do another.  Some have not used the time to do amazing things but have lingered in a comfortable mediocrity.  And while I'm disappointed for them, I don't recognize it as failure, necessarily.  Chances are these students would have been in a holding pattern in or out of our class.  Sometimes we all take longer than is hoped.

Besides, freedom can be paralyzing.  And our students often don't know what to do with it. I think it's because they haven't experienced it much in an academic setting. But I hope that by setting aside part of the day to think, act, create and move of their own accord, we surrender back to these students a powerful part of themselves.  Perhaps the most powerful part.  It's the part in which they get to decide who and what they want to be.  They get to decide what world they want to live in and how to explain that world to themselves and others.

And now, having been asked multiple times, "Why did you start this class?" and "How's the class going?" and a hundred variations of the sort, I can say with certainty (and maybe a little pride): "Ask the students."  Because they're the ones doing amazing things.  They're the ones building the world.  They're the ones who are struggling with success and failure, running and stumbling.  They're the ones I trust to figure it out.  I'm the one that will be here cheering them on.  I'm the one that excited to see what the next year brings.