When reading the book Most Likely to Succeed, I began with the dedication page:
 | There are no two ways about it - teaching is demanding. We're counting on our teachers to shape and transform our next generation, but we pay them salaries comparable to that of someone who works at a rental car counter. We expect them to deal with learning, family, motivational, and life issues for hundreds of students yet decide that they are so untrustworthy that we need to hold their feet to the fire with nonsensical standardized tests. We blame them when things don't go exactly the way we want - with a given child, class, school, or national cohort - yet we do next to nothing to support them. Yet they persevere, and come to school every day committed to helping our kids become better people. So, to our teachers, we say thank you, and hope that this book, and the documentary Most Likely to Succeed, will help you in your important mission. |
Are authors Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith just trying to butter teachers up to sell their book? Or is there actually something to this movement? What do they have to say about the 4 C's: Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. I expect to read more about these approaches as I stroll through the seven chapters of their book, starting with Chapter 1: Our Education DNA.
