We wanted to create a business motto not just because our consultant told us to, but to create inspiration for anyone that we interact with. Our own staff members. Teachers, principals, and other staff at schools. Parents. Most of all our students! It unifies us all together that what we are not doing right now is not just for a letter grade on an assignment, class grade, report card grade, transcript, or even a diploma. We are educating For the Future. Jobs, careers, relationships, getting health care, keeping your sanity, and dealing with all life has in store for us, in the future.
It is a cognitive distortion to predict the future. So we won’t do it. Moore’s Law continues to hold true that technology doubles its abilities every two years, so just knowing how computers currently work will not be enough. Weather reports are barely accurate past three days. So how do we get ready For the Future?
It’s as simple as teaching to look at the weather forecast before deciding what to wear! Rather than an adult dictate some knowledge, teach how to find the answer and make a decision! It really is that simple, but it does take rethinking how teachers come off as the only validator of right and wrong (and how students resort to AI to hope it’s answers are right enough to sneak by).
By teaching a process, we create empowerment for our students. We create confidence that they can accomplish their goals. We give them the space to take charge of their own learning. And if they need guidance and support, we are always there when they need it. We are not the analog of online learning platforms where the binary nature of computers is right or wrong.
By teaching critical thinking, decision making, cause and effect, and other process skills, we are preparing our children to be ready for what ever problems that may arise in their lives. Life has known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. It is only by trusting our children with their own decision making that they will be truly prepared. Will they only know 3×4 is 12 or will they have a skill set ready to take on what ever the future may have on hand?
We invite you to learn with us, For the Future.
