There is no simpler or more profound way to say it, learning is a journey. It is not a destination that, once achieved, leaves us with nowhere else to go. In fact, the very idea of reducing one’s education to a single letter grade or a GPA cheapens the entire process. It is this quantization of learning the has placed test scores above skill masteries. It has made learning something to complete rather than experience.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin
Granted, there are foundational skills that require memorization. Young children must memorize letters and words in order to read, write, and speak with fluency. Memorizing times tables and conversions improves efficiency in basic mathematics. However as children develop, they become capable of engaging in more advanced skills like logic, critical reasoning, and debate. It is during the teenage years that this transition in cognitive ability is changing the most rapidly, and it is vital that their educational processes and goals also change to meet them where they are at.
