 |
| Francisco Almonte (Age 6) |
A Reflection on the Gallop Poll
My family was sitting around the dinner table the other night, when I was inspired (from the Gallup Poll Tool Kit, of all places) to ask my kids “What do you want to be when you grow up?”. I really was expecting to hear “Fireman” or “Policeman” or “Superhero”, but my oldest responded he wanted to travel the world and be a food blogger. My second said he wanted to be a YouTuber. At first, I was struck by how different dreams are for kids today and then I thought “Did he just say “YouTuber”? I could hear the needle scratching on the record player. In one moment I saw him as this adorable 6-year-old smiling at me with a missing front tooth, and the next he was a grown adult gaming all day and night in my basement. Where did I go wrong? Then I began to embrace what he had to say.
If I had responded with “Really?”,or something else just as judgy and negative, I would have crushed his little 6-year-old spirit. I recovered and showed my enthusiasm for HIS dream. The idea of him being a YouTuber is horrifying to me, but my job is not to judge and discourage, but to support and encourage. We talked about all the things he would have to learn in school to become a great YouTuber he said he needed to learn how to edit video and upload video to YouTube. He said he just wants to make people laugh. I wanted to cry with pride and I was impressed with how much he had given this some thought.
I reflect on this because in February we will be working with results from the Gallup Poll students took earlier this semester. The Gallup Poll is an engagement survey to understand how engaged our students feel at school, their hopes for the future, their entrepreneurial spirit, and their career literacy. I have a prediction that our discussions about the results are going to produce rich, fruitful and philosophical conversations, not unlike the one I had at the dinner table with myself this week.
Schools are going to have to start to approach education differently. We are tasked to evolve and grow with the demands of a new world. A world that has opened the possibilities for women and allowed them to take control of their destiny, unlike any other generation. Did you know there is a YouTuber that has a series called “Ryan’s Toy Review”? This kid opens new toys and talks about how he likes them or not. He has millions of followers on YouTube and my kids adore him. This was not even in my realm of understanding of what the future of children’s entertainment would look like. The future has never been more uncertain and unpredictable for students today, and never so limitless. Schools have an obligation to change with the times, too.
My vision of student-centered learning allows students to tap into their own creativity and then supports them in whichever direction that passion takes them. Schools can no longer be places that provide students with prescribed pathways and boxes to check in order to graduate. That was a model for a different time. I imagine a place that has engaged and hopeful students when they are given the freedom to design their own education that feeds their drive and their desire to succeed. Schools can do more and should be better at helping students find their voice and living their best life. I am excited to work at a place like Carondelet that is trying to do just this.
Carondelet is sitting on the precipice of becoming a place that could change the face of education and provide an experience for young women that teaches students about finding resources and building networks that give them the skills, knowledge and encouragement to make their dreams happen.
I know my son’s dreams will change and evolve and I will be right there to encourage and listen to him the entire time. No judgements, just guidance (and a lot of fingers crossed). Who knows, that Ryan kid is worth over a $11 Million dollars. Maybe I will be the one living in my son’s basement when I get older.