The Class

The Class

Adult nonfiction
I have less than fond memories of high school science classes
which were a tedious round of lectures, assigned readings, quizes,
exams, and "experiments" which involved the replication of what had
been done oh only about a gazillion times. Tedious, forgettable,
blah. My son, in contrast, was able to help design a water filter for
a part of the world in which it was needed. He was psyched to have a
project that was relevant and useful. I love that an increasing
number of teachers and schools (although not nearly enough) are
realizing that students not only don't need to be taught old school,
but actually have something to contribute to the world. When I heard
about Heather Won Tesoreiro's The Class I was quick to get my hands on
it.
Scientist Andy Bramante had made a mid career switch from the
corporate world to education, becoming a teacher at Greenwich
(Connecticut) High School. His class is highly unusual. There aren't
any textbooks, lectures, and tests. Instead each student pursues an
independent research interest that's relevant and cutting edge. For
example,
*Sophia suffered from Lyme disease for years before receiving a
correct diagnosis. She worked on a more effective way of getting past
the defenses of Lyme disease cells.
*Romano was a football player with an abusive coach when he developed
an admiration for Andy's class. "...And then I look at the kids and
I'm like, they're so smart and they're successful and they're nice."
He worked on developing a liquid bandage that could include an
antibiotic.
*Olivia had been horrified by both the Ebola epidemic in West Africa
and the indifference of much of the rest of the world. She worked on
a quick, inexpensive method of diagnosis that used ingredients that
wouldn't require refrigeration.
And those are only a few of the students you'll follow over the
course of a year. It's not all academics. You'll learn about their
friendships, their family relationships, the personal issues they
struggled with--even their attempts to snag those all Important prom
dates.
The only thing in the book that rubbed me the wrong way was its
emphasis on the elite competitions the students engaged in. I know
that the competitive angle is what would grab a lot of people's
attention. To me it was the icing on the cake. What really mattered
was the freedom and equipment and human resource access that enabled
the students to pursue very relevant challenges they were passionate
about.
I believe the competitive emphasis also gets us off the hook as
far as expanding access to this method to the majority of students we
don't consider the creme de la creme. These students need it even
more. In Maine some lower income coastal communities were
experiencing serious drop out problems. Students, not seeing the
relevance of more traditional bodies of knowledge, were leaving school
as soon as possible to follow in the family lobstering tradition. But
when someone was insightful enough to develop curriculum centered
around researching the threats to this traditional and beloved way of
life and solutions that could enable future generations to pursue it,
the students were fully engaged, getting better grades, and sticking
around to earn their diplomas.
If you care about education in America and the powerful promise
of new directions it can be taken in, you'll find The Class to be a
must read.
On a purrrsonal note, well I accomplished my goal of moving the second
bookcase from Adam's old room into my shed. It involved serious
furniture wrestling. There was a heavy bed in front of the wood
bookcase. The bookcase had to be lifted over the bed and dragged out
of the room and trailor. I'd just maneuvered it down the steps
without dropping it on my toes when a seriously muscular guy asked if
I could use any help. He carried it to the shed and put it right
where I wanted it. The shed looks as great as I knew it would. Now,
except for my Saturday work shift, I have the long weekend to work on
the trailer.
A great big shout out goes out to the guy who helped me with the
bookcase and the best little cat in the world who would have made the
cleaning project so much less dull and dreary.
jules hathaway


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