In Frederik Backman’s charming novella, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, a grandfather asks his grandson this provocative reversal of the standard question kids get asked. For an excerpt:

…Grandpa wants to know if the school is behaving. It hardly ever is. 

“Our teacher made us write a story about what we want to be when we’re big,” Noah tells him. 

“What did you write?”

“I wrote that I wanted to concentrate on being little first.”

“That’s a very good answer.”

….

“Did you write that?”

“Yes”

“What did the teacher say?”

“She said I hadn’t understood the task.”

“And what did you say?

“I said she hadn’t understood my answer.”

“I love you,” Grandpa manages to say…

Too often, we focus on whether kids are meeting the expectations of the school without also considering whether school is meeting the expectations of the kids. As we move toward the holy season of Testing, it’s good to ask ourselves if schools are “behaving” in the sense of providing opportunities for kids to grow toward increasingly responsible citizenship. My friend David Sobel has suggested that we tend to write curriculum that is two years too advanced for the kids. I’ll extend that with the observation that we also tend to strip out the meaning-making in a rush for coverage. It’s disheartening when administrators encourage teachers to skip the learning process and just “give the kids what they need to know.” This sprint over disconnected tips, tricks, and facts doesn’t build thoughtful intrigue and insight into the world, or nurture the skills and vision needed for useful citizenship.

As citizens and educators, we need to be sure schools “behave themselves” in the sense of providing space and support for age-appropriate meaning making. That’s the art form we are called to. It’s a privilege to share the journey with you.