I recently had a conversation with my six-year-old nephew, Griffin, about school, the recent storms in Iowa (where we live), his brother and sister, and summer. When I asked him how T-ball went, he responded, "I passed."

At first I chuckled at his comment and then I asked him, "You passed? Tell me more."

He said, "Yes, I did good enough that I passed." He wasn't smiling; he just said it matter-of-factly, and I quickly realized he was serious. He felt he had done well enough that he "passed" T-ball. 

All I could think was how sad it was that this was his outlook on something meant to be enjoyable. Have we put such an emphasis on testing and accountability that our students think everything in life is pass/fail? Have we taught them to settle for mediocrity, to do just enough to "pass" because in the end that is all that matters? Have we taken the joy out of the process of learning and understanding new things? What can we do to change this?

I realize that increased accountability isn't going away. Our students are going to be tested many times throughout their academic lives. However, I believe we have the power to impart a different message to them. In our classrooms, the message they take home should be that learning is fun and enjoyable. Yes, we will be tested and held accountable our whole life, but it is fun and gives us an opportunity to show what we know and it helps to guide our learning.

How do we ingrain this vision?

• We establish a sense of urgency for what we are learning. Telling students what we are learning and why we are learning it helps create purpose and engages them.
• We are enthusiastic about teaching and learning. When teachers are noticeably excited about something, so are their students; enthusiasm is contagious.
• We allow children to share their learning, which results in a supportive, collaborative environment that encourages risk taking and enhanced knowledge.
• We provide choice to increase motivation and engagement. 

When a person takes ownership for what they are doing, their pride increases, and the outcome is more about wanting to excel than to just "pass." Purpose, enthusiasm, collaboration, and choice all play a major role in ownership. And, when a person "owns" something, they are more apt to succeed.  

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