If you ask many educators a simple question:
What is your responsibility as a teacher?
You might get the same answer from any number of respondents,
I need to prepare students for their future.
Or some other equivalent answer,
I need to prepare them for (Insert next Grade Level, ie. 4th Grade or 8th Grade)
However, our students are ready, capable, and willing to contribute NOW.
Rather than worrying about what students will be doing next year or in five or ten years, let’s concern ourselves with what they are doing right now.
Let’s ask these questions:
How can we help students to bring value now?
What can students do to contribute now?
What kind of skills do students need to create something meaningful now?
What kind of problems can students solve now?
If we are asked that question, let’s change our answer:
I need to prepare students for right NOW.
Rich (@RACzyz)