Chapter 5: Behind the Times

I was a little shocked to see that countries like China are modeling their educational systems in order to compete with the United States. Our students are not prepared for the world. I see this everyday. Most are not truly aware of the hard work it takes to be successful, nor the creativity.

I am glad Gallagher addressed the slump in reading around 13 years old. This happened to me. I read and read in elementary and middle school, but when I reached high school all of a sudden it was a heavy chore to complete. By my senior year I was exhausted. My teacher saw this in all of my fellow students as well. She decided to introduce us to a novel at the end of the year. I was groaning....WHY?!? We had already taken the AP exam, why did we have to start a novel?! She chose The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. I was in awe. After 20 pages I was sucked into the story, I finished the book ahead of schedule. Instead of drilling and killing Mrs. Ray held discussion based classes and we talked about the reading everyday. I walked away from that class ready for college and a passionate appreciation for Literature. I know this experience is rare but, with a good teacher and a good book, I believe all students can walk away from high school with an appreciation for reading as well as all the pleasures and knowledge it provides.

The best critically thinking skills come from reading and looking for meaning within a text. With good critical thinking skills, a fostered creative nature, and an ambitious spirit anyone can succeed. Instead of testing our students to death we need to take them in our hands and give them the tools for success.