Taking Calculated Risks in Schools

Here is another gem from The School and Society and The Child and the Curriculum by John Dewey.

To refuse to try, to stick blindly to tradition, because the search for the truth involves experimentation in the region of the unknown, is to refuse the only step which can introduce rational conviction into education.

I’m certainly scared of experimenting in the region of the unknown, yet, without prodding into uncharted territory, how will we know what is best for kids? This is not about abandoning all we know about education and diving head-first into the unknown. It is about refining, improving, and changing practices by consciously taking calculated risks where appropriate.

We want our students to be risk-takers but are we assuming ourselves to be one? Is experimentation encouraged or even cherished in your school?

This coming school year I want to experiment with two different things, maybe three, in one of my classes. I want to eliminate grades for most of the semester, but still assign a final grade with assistance from students. I want to start a book club in physics. I also want to implement year-long personal projects with my students.

I realize that none of these ideas are groundbreaking or new, but because I’ve never implemented them before, they are new to me. However, the risks are calculated risks because I can learn from others who have successfully implemented these ideas before.

Learning in focus — Never stop experimenting in the classroom.