Are students excited to be back at school? Maybe.

Depending on where students go to school, what school board they're under, and which teachers are teaching them, I think that some students might very well be excited to be back at school. Weird right? It seems like excitement and school are two words that just don't go together in a sentence. Why is this the case? Why is it that when the majority of elementary and high school students think about going back to school, it usually involves a dramatic sigh or a less than impressed reaction?

It's because school isn't engaging for them. They're interests and passions aren't stimulated in the classroom. It's because they act as passive beings in a traditional classroom setting, where they all sit at an individual desk, silently of course, and listen to a teacher lecture on what the traditional curriculum requires them to lecture on. Sure, this might sound ideal for the select few who prefer this type of learning because it caters to their learning style, and that's great. But it's time that we start thinking about alternative ways to learn and teach so that classrooms are stimulating, safe, exciting learning environments that all students look forward to entering everyday.

The development of a new story of curriculum, instruction, and assessment is in the making, and is being put into action in many schools across Canada already. I think that this is a great start to reforming how schools provide a place for students to learn, and a place where they want to learn. However, it's a lengthy process to put these new systems into affect, so it's up to teachers to do what they can to be creative and innovative in the classroom. Creating lessons based on a constructivist approach that is driven towards student-based learning is the key. Make education about the students.

Last week while I was in class I was inspired by schools with teachers who organized programs with  schools around the world to create a classroom experience that was innovative and extremely compelling for the students. One class from Canada would Skype with a class in Kenya, and learn together about each other's cultures and school experiences. Now I don't have proof that all of the students were compelled to take part in this activity, or whether every student learned something, but if something like this had been a part of my high school experience, my level of excitement to learn would have gone through the roof. I think it's safe to say that this might be a similar reaction for many other students as well.

So when I say that I think that some students may be excited to be back at school, I am referring to those students who are experiencing an education system that is branching from the traditional curriculum, instruction, and assessment methods. I'm talking about those students who have teachers that work their hardest to think outside the box about how to engage their students, and who create lessons that are multidisciplinary and riveting. I'm talking about the students who return home after their day at school to a parent or gaurdian that asks them, "What did you do in school today?" and who reply with endless stories telling them about how much they learned in class, and how great their day was. Some students will have an experience that leaves them feeling excited to be back at school, but I think all students should have this experience.