Through the years we've taught some of the same students.
When we both began teaching, we tended to view a student's cognitive ability as the most important determinant in a student's success in our classrooms. We naively felt that students who were bright should naturally perform well in our classes and students who had less cognitive ablity should logically struggle in our classes.
In talking about kids we've both taught, we found that, while cognitive ability is a determinant in a student's success in a classroom, a student's work ethic and attitude toward learning are far more reliable indicators.
A recent article in Education Week Click for article and the Harvard Education Letter Click for article point out that schools, particularly public schools, are just beginning to recognize (and are efforting to measure) skills and competencies beyond cognitive ability as they are more important in preparing children for high school, college, and beyond.
In an era of high-stakes testing, some public schools have recognized that their program does not allow for creativity and innovative thinking in their students. Teaching to the test is not inherently bad: after all, Grant Wiggins has encouraged teachers for the past twenty years to be more upfront with students about how they will be asked to demonstrate their understanding of the content presented. However, too often high-stakes tests focus on broad and superficial content. Student opportunities to be creative and innovative have been forgotten in many schools because they are not skills measured in high-stakes tests.
While I'm not sure a creativity index (as detailed in the Education Week article) is the answer, I am encouraged that schools are once again embracing the value of the arts, project-based learning, and student independent research.
The Harvard Education Letter article traces the roots of future leadership in individuals to habits and skills like embracing novel experiences and having what Carol Dweck calls a growth rather than a fixed mindset.
What research is showing us and what teachers need to look for and develop in the classroom extends beyond a student's innate cognitive ability. In a previous blog, I referenced Tony Wagner's book, The Global Achievement Gap, where he challenges schools to emphasize the following competencies needed for success in today's world: critical thinking, problem solving, working collaboratively, taking initiative, communicating effectively, being curious and imaginative.
My wife and I now use a student's persistence, motivation, and resilience as more logical indicators of classroom success than cognitive ability.
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