It's Time To Start Taking Kids Seriously

Mazin Mukhtar Mon, 8 Mar at 10:39pm
It's Time To Start Taking Kids Seriously

 

I used to be an average student. I prided myself in being a class clown: I disrupted my teachers, had a hard time paying attention, got kicked out of class, and earned mostly Cs. By the time I was in the seventh grade, I was spending a large portion of my life in detention. The disciplinary measures were making me grow more and more distant from my school and from learning.


If things hadn’t changed I probably would have been put on prescription medication. If circumstances had been a little different, I could have been among the one in four African American kids who never finish high school.


When I was thirteen, I had the fortune to join a learning program that took me seriously as a thinker.


It was simple: We had small group discussions where students were empowered to teach themselves and each other the requirements of the syllabus; teachers/mentors worked with the students to design lesson plans; students of various ages and strengths worked together to address their various academic weaknesses. Most importantly, we spent a great deal of time discussing and developing our own learning interests and life goals.


By discussing my interests and my life in an academic setting, my education suddenly became relevant to every aspect of my life. I was motivated, and I started taking my studies seriously.


By the time I was fifteen, I was an aerospace engineering freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, after having earned thirty-five semester credits from high school and community college.


Now, I am part of an organization called the Forum, which is dedicated to creating a network of educators, students, and families to design programs that blend teaching with mentoring.


The Forum’s program can be implemented at any school, at any level, be it as an elective, after-school program, homework club, summer program, or simply as a student group. Ultimately, the students themselves, as well as their educators, families and communities, form the backbone of their own program. The Forum links each student’s interests with their schoolwork. Students begin to fully engage in learning and personal development all the time, rather than being limited to the time they spend in school.


We are desperately calling on anyone who wants to help students who are growing distant from their schools. Contact me at mazin.mukhtar@forumeducation.org

 

When we start taking kids seriously, they start taking school seriously. Anyone who sees it is amazed at what students can accomplish when they are motivated.


Visit www.forumeducation.org

 

About Mazin Mukhtar