Weird is Wonderful

Weird is Wonderful

Picture sourced from www.pixabay.com

How often do we in education base decisions off what is average? Expected? Normal?

Average test scores set the bar for proficiency. Normal performance helps determine those in need of gifted or special education.  Weird gets in the way of the pacing guide.

 

I’ve reflected on this a bit since a recent class meeting my students and I held.  I wanted to gauge the climate of the class through my students’ eyes and also empower them to take control of their learning environment.  I expected most of the responses that came out and we had a great discussion.  But one comment stuck with me.  When asked what kind of place they wanted their classroom and school to be, one of my rockstar students responded with, “Sometimes people make fun of me because I’m weird… and I don’t want that.”

 

WEIRD IS WONDERFUL

I responded by encouraging the students to be weird.  I told them that if they wanted to be normal, they were in the wrong place.  Weird is how we write awesome stories! Weird is how we find great characters and worlds through books.  Weird is how we come up with unique and beautiful solutions and strategies in math, science and social studies.  Weird is wonderful!

 

Although as a kid, I probably did not embrace it, I knew that I’ve almost always been a bit off from “normal”.  Nothing too outlandish and I guess I’d say in general terms, I’m just a regular normal guy.  But in truth, there’s always been something that made me different in most settings I found myself in.  And for the most part it has never bothered me.  But I’m not sure I’ve ever celebrated this concept with my students.  This moment was a chance to change that.

 

I hoped my students would see the value I placed on not trying to fit into a predetermined “normal” slot.  They needed to be creative and follow their own passions if they were going to be great learners… and great humans.  I especially wanted this student who voiced their concern to know I valued their uniqueness and wanted others to start valuing everyone else’s uniqueness.  And in large part, I believe they did.  

 

But as I have continued to think about this encounter, it’s made me wonder where I sometimes squelch the beautiful weirdness that exists in every individual that sits in my classroom.  Where does the educational system we participate in do the same? How do even our well-meaning and research based or data-driven decisions sometimes send the message that “normal” is preferred?

 

These are questions to wrestle with as I dive deeper into what is by far the weirdest year of my professional career… and I wouldn’t have it any normal way!

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