My dad went through a Stephen Covey fan phase somewhere back in the '90s. All of his efforts to get me to read and pay attention to Covey's books must not have been in vain, for it's this idea of beginning with the end in mind that popped up in my mind the other day as I thought about what matters in education.
I've been following a lot of people who are interested in turning the tide in the U.S. education system--and in the world, for that matter--and they've really got me thinking. I hope their ideas eventually impress the powers that be, for if education reform is to become a reality, it will never be from the top down. What these change agents are after is meaningful use of time in the classroom.
But back to Covey.
One of his mantras is to "begin with the end in mind." It sounds almost too simple to be life-changing, but what if we actually put this into practice in our schools?
For me, it goes something like this: I want to give all students the power to become lifelong readers who gravitate toward not away from print and reading.
If that's the end, should I ever bore them to death with reading that is uninspired or pointless? Shouldn't every act in my classroom lead them toward this end? This little idea helps me pare down what's essential from what ends up being busy work.
