Joshua Brookshire

I believe the purpose of education is the cultivation of critical minds, capable of living intentional lives. Some people view education as the way we prepare students for the work place. I would argue education should be designed to prepare students to become members of society.

 

Just as we would break down the subject level concepts in class, so must we break down the requirements placed on a citizen. A citizen in our society has two primary responsibilities, the responsibility to society and the responsibility to one’s self. Typically our responsibility to society aligns with our responsibility to ourselves but occasionally they will be placed in conflict. Responsible, engaged citizens will be able to navigate conflicts whenever and where ever they arise.

 

It is our job as educators to present students with an opportunity to develop the universal skill of door creation. Problems can often appear to be insurmountable walls. The inflexible mind will try to run headlong into those problems, conquering them only by climbing over them. The critical mind is capable of building doors, allowing a free exchange between two previously separated positions.

 

We do not know what future conflicts our students will be required to resolve. We cannot focus on the solutions necessary for the world today. The children we work with will not be adults in the reality of today, today's problems are ours to solve. What we must do is provide them skills so they can cut out doors as the walls of the future present themselves.