RefinED Friends,
You may have run across a recent compilation from @Amazing_Maps that labels each of the fifty US states with the most common word that auto-completed this sentence in a Google search: "Why is ___(state name)___ so...?"
The
results are sometimes predictable, occasionally telling, and relatively consistent with societal stereotypes.
With this in mind, I decided to apply the same curiosity to education-related questions. According to Google's auto-complete function, which highlights the most searched terms after those words, these are the results:
"Why are students so____?"
-lazy
-disrespectful
-unmotivated
-stressed
"Why are teachers so____?"
-mean
-stupid
-rude
-annoying
"Why are school administrators so_____?"
-stupid
-incompetent
"Why are guidance counselors so____?"
-useless
-important
"Why are parents so____?
-mean
-stupid
-overprotective
-strict
"Why is America's education system so___?"
-bad
Those who devote their lives to the education of youth are among the hardest working, most dedicated, and resilient individuals in the American work force. Those who nurture their children into responsible, respectful, caring young men and women are equally hard working, dedicated, and resilient. Sure, there are educators and parents who sully that reputation, but I've found the former true in many more cases during my travels.
As a nation, it's time to change our search terms. Let's clear our Browser History, wipe out the Cookies, and do a hard reset. We all play critical roles in social emotional and academic growth of our nation's children. With that in mind, perhaps it's even time we change the entire search question.
Let's ask our students, teachers, guidance counselors, principals, and parents (not our search engines), "How can I help?"
~Scott
scott@refinedcharacter.com
