This week we watched the documentary “Most Likely to Succeed” (2015) and was I ever inspired! The Greg Whiteley film is produced by Ted Dintersmith and presented by One Potato Productions. Below is a trailer for the film, just to get you interested 😉

What I found the most fascinating about the documentary was how the education at High Tech High seemed like such a flipped script from traditional education, yet the students seemed to be learning just as much, if not more, than in a traditional public school. The idea that testing has been replaced with cumulative projects that are showcased to the public (families, teachers, administrators) feels revolutionary and out of the general scope of much of our education system. But how exhilarating! Students learn not only diverse curricular subjects all mashed together to show their connection, but they also learn how to work collaboratively and creatively while also developing communication skills, critical thinking skills, and social emotional skills (not to mention the ability to provide constructive and effective feedback as well as receive it). It may be a simple concept but the shift seems astronomical.

I appreciated the openness of the teachers and students to a new way of learning and doing. Education needs to catch up to the modern era where we need critical and creative thinkers instead of the traditional production of like-minded workers. Society has changed; therefore, our definition of success needs to change as well. Our world needs minds that are encouraged to pursue their dreams and ambitions, not just strive for good grades.

As I head into my teaching career, I recognize that I need to follow the provincial mandate for curriculum and testing policies; however, that doesn’t mean that I have to teach only what is on a test. I hope to be as inspiring as the teachers in the documentary were and help my students develop lifelong skills that will benefit them long after a test has come and gone. I will aim for understanding and open thinking with my students so that everyone feels valued and appreciated. That is my commitment to changing the scope of success.