Education Reform | Joanna Johnson | TEDxGrandePrairie

Empowerment and Building Relationships

• The current education system is in desperate need of improvement, but instead of focusing on solutions, people often point fingers and assign blame (15s).
• To create positive change, three key things are necessary, with the first being empowerment, which involves getting to know students and their families to understand their needs and create a supportive team environment (37s).
• Class size is crucial in this process, as it allows teachers to build relationships with their students and understand their individual needs (1m3s).
• Teachers must make students feel safe and empowered, which can be done in different ways, such as using loving sarcasm, but it's essential to be aware that not all students respond well to the same approach (1m59s).
• To empower students, teachers must be vulnerable and share their own struggles and weaknesses, which helps students feel more comfortable taking risks and trying new things (2m44s).
• The education system should focus on helping students develop holistically, rather than just focusing on their strengths, as this can lead to students avoiding challenges and not developing essential skills (3m49s).

Accountability and Responsibility

• Accountability is also essential, but the current system often fails to provide this, with policies such as no late marks and inflated grades, which can create a lack of motivation and a sense of entitlement among students (4m14s).
• These policies can have negative consequences, such as students feeling that they don't need to put in effort and that they're not good enough, which can be damaging to their self-esteem and future success (4m57s).
• Kids need to understand what accountability and respect look like, and adults also need to model these behaviors, as some parents may not be setting a good example, highlighting the need for a team to handle these issues (5m1s).
• Accountability doesn't mean punishment, but rather setting expectations, consequences, and follow-through, which is often the hard part (5m27s).
• Kicking a kid out of school for a day can be counterproductive, as some kids who struggle with assignments may be dealing with issues at home or taking care of responsibilities that they're not sharing with their families (5m56s).
• Some kids may be chronically late with assignments due to embarrassment or not knowing how to ask for help, and they may be taking care of other responsibilities, such as caring for others (6m9s).

The Importance of Failure and Learning

• Social expertise and empathy are important skills that kids may possess, but they may not be applying them in all areas, such as academics (6m45s).
• Taking off late marks can be a problem, and kids should be allowed to fail as a natural part of the learning process, with two main reasons for failure being not understanding the material yet or not trying (6m54s).
• Not allowing kids to fail can lead to low expectations and a lack of awareness that not every student will pass every class, which can result in kids hating school and feeling stupid (7m16s).
• Passing kids who aren't ready can be damaging, especially in elementary years, and can set them up for future struggles, with some kids developing a lifelong dislike of certain subjects, such as math (7m31s).
• The root of this dislike often stems from a negative experience, such as feeling not powerful enough, which can happen as early as grade three, and can set the trajectory for their academic existence (8m4s).
• Trying is important, but it's not the only factor, and kids need to understand the material and be given the opportunity to learn and grow, rather than just being pushed through the system (8m33s).

Systemic Issues and the Need for Change

• The current system prioritizes getting kids through the system quickly, rather than ensuring they have a solid understanding of the material, which can lead to problems in the long run (9m1s).
• Recovery programs that allow kids to catch up at the end of the semester can be problematic, as they don't teach kids the value of hard work and perseverance, and can create unrealistic expectations (9m10s).
• The focus on classroom management and avoiding problems can take away from the time spent on actual teaching and learning, leading to a lack of depth and understanding in the material (9m40s).
• The current education system has created a box that students are expected to fit into, and those who don't fit are often left behind, which can lead to the loss of potential geniuses, cures for cancer, and brilliant philosophers (10m32s).

Funding and Resource Allocation

• In the past, students who didn't fit in the box were often failed, expelled, or told they weren't intelligent, but now the system has shifted to accommodate different learning styles and exceptionalities (10m40s).
• However, this shift has led to overcrowded classrooms with many students having individual education plans (IEPs), making it difficult for teachers to navigate and provide adequate support (11m49s).
• The issue is largely a matter of funding, and the question is where to allocate resources: on education and supporting students when they're young, or on healthcare, social assistance, and addressing mental health crises later on (12m10s).
• The cost of not investing in education is high, with estimates suggesting that for every $3 billion spent on education, $37 billion is spent on making up for the lack of investment (13m33s).
• Teachers are not adequately trained to support students' mental health, and the current system does not provide sufficient resources or tools for them to do so (14m19s).
• There is a need for a more comprehensive approach to education that prioritizes connection, relationships, and student well-being, rather than just academics (13m52s).

Engagement and Relevance in Education

• Engagement is crucial in education, as it's challenging to get kids excited about learning in a world where they can easily access information on their phones (15m42s).
• The traditional method of teaching, where students memorize and regurgitate information, is no longer effective in today's world (16m9s).
• Some people believe that education should focus on basic skills like handwriting, but it's unclear whether this is still a necessary skill in the digital age (16m35s).
• The amount of information available to students can be overwhelming, and it's difficult for them to discern what is true and what is not (17m8s).
• Many students are highly skilled at using technology and are smarter than previous generations in this regard (17m17s).
• There is a concern that students are too dependent on technology, but it's unlikely that this will change, so education needs to adapt to this reality (17m27s).
• To engage students, educators need to find topics that they care about and show them how the curriculum connects to these interests (17m37s).
• The curriculum needs to evolve over time to reflect changing societal values and perspectives (17m45s).
• Traditional textbooks can be problematic due to bias and limited perspectives, and students are aware of these issues (18m35s).
• Educators need to be willing to address the tough questions and encourage critical thinking in their students (19m26s).
• Some important topics, such as residential schools, have been historically excluded from education, and this needs to change (19m47s).
• Educators should encourage students to question what is not included in the curriculum and to think critically about the information presented to them (19m59s).

Investing in Education and Future Generations

• Important questions in education will build a generation of students and adults who are powerful and can change the world if invested in (20m21s).
• Investing in education is essential, and although it may seem like a burden, it is a necessary cost that will be paid somehow (20m31s).
• The speaker acknowledges the complexity of applying educational reform to grade N (presumably nursery or pre-kindergarten) and suggests that a more knowledgeable person is needed to address this topic (20m50s).