Teach Relevant Stuff

Every educator’s most sacred responsibility

Rob Muhlestein
Sep 6, 2018 · 5 min read

Anyone who knows me will recognize this as my mantra as an educator. The truth is, not enough educators burden themselves with this responsibility and frankly they should. Sure it is exhausting keeping up with everything—especially in technology. But anything less not only wastes everyone’s time and money, but puts students in real danger.

Before you go accusing me of fear-mongering consider professions where not having the latest knowledge and updated skills can actually kill people, doctors, life-guards, electricians, mechanics—even babysitters. There’s a reason CPR certification has to be renewed every year.

“But what about history, Mr. Rob? No one is going to die from not knowing that?”

Oh really?

How about our current baby-caging president that we elected because so very many chose not to vote—mostly because they just didn’t feel like it. Even the man’s own daughter and wife don’t agree with the greatest evil done to innocent humans on American soil since the Japanese internment camps.

What if our current history teachers had been taught with the urgency of those who lived through the bomb raids of England and the war that engulfed the world? I was. And most of my public school teachers were amazing because of it.

What if those taught by such teachers (like me) went on to teach those who chose not to vote about the importance of being involved in the political process even if it becomes so revolting you think nothing you can do will ever matter?

Not enough did, partly because fewer are choosing teaching and partly because those who choose to teach, um, suck at it. Their hearts aren’t in it.

Can you blame them though? Look at all the messages we send to them.

“You are worth half as much as engineers.”

“You are worth 1/20th of a basketball player to our society.”

“You are responsible to protect kids from gun violence.”

“You are inadequate if you cannot figure out how to promote meaningful learning in the 200 students assigned to you.”

“You should beg the parents for money and help if you really need it.”

Frankly, it’s fucking disgusting. According to most corporate policies these statements would constitute harassment, or at the very least, a “hostile work environment.”

Yet we are completely ok letting them do it because they chose to do it.

That’s like saying it is ok for those soldiers who died because, after all, they chose that life.

“Why are you bagging on history, Mr. Rob? Aren’t you a tech teacher? Not learning to code isn’t going to get anyone killed?”

Oh really?

The largest recall in automotive history, Toyota, that has accelerator pedals sticking and prompted one of the biggest class-action lawsuits in the world was because of, and I quote from NASA’s findings, “spaghetti code.”

Add to that the avalanche of security exploits from bad code and you can easily make the case that bad code kills.

But the stakes do not have to be as dire to justify teaching relevant stuff.

The ultimate responsibility of any educator is to help each person under their care to gain the skills, knowledge, and abilities that will—above all—make them a better human being as well as a contributing member of society.

“You can get a job if you learn this.”

“You can make a lot of money if you learn this.”

“You will improve your chances of a great college if you learn this.”

“You will find meaning and joy in life if you learn this.”

“You will be empowered to create things for yourself if you learn this.”

Think about those.

Which do you most frequently hear?

Education is about earning potential. No one is arguing that. But it is mostly about helping others find meaning, joy, and empowerment.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to oppress you, trying to harm you.

This simple, wonderful truth about education—that fills true educators with a light and love few other professions can—terrifies most people in power. These are the same people who demonize education stating that it is the root of a sin in a godless society.

This is the polar opposite of the truth.

Education, in every way, as long as humans have existed, provides freedom, growth, and enlightenment. In fact, the golden age of enlightenment saved countless lives and “produced numerous books, essays, inventions, scientific discoveries, laws, wars and revolutions.” That last word is what they fear. When people learn, they change. When a lot of people change, they revolt.

Revolution is progress. If we are not revolting, we are not progressing, not as individuals, and not as a society.

Revolution does not require violence, but always requires non-conformity and a healthy disdain for the status quo. It requires the courage to listen to our god-given compasses, which check each other, our hearts and minds, and to accept new truths as disruptive as they might be. And it requires a total abhorrence for dogma, the greatest enemy to truth, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness.

This scares a lot of people but needn’t do so. You definitely have to live with some people just not liking you, mostly because you are “boiling the water” but remember, water-boilers are the reason we no longer die from disease on the operating room table, the reason we have penicillin, democracy, the printing press, personal computers, and our precious mobile phones. Next time someone officially labels you a “disturber of the peace” in the Shire wear the moniker with pride.

Those with the money and power would rather “eat cake.” Usually by the time these people are well established they have no need for education themselves any longer. Usually they were the children of privilege and didn’t need nor care to learn anything. They had everything they thought they needed.

So, who are the demons? Those who are seeking education and enlightenment of the masses? Or those who never really got into education because they didn’t need it and are now afraid others will learn just how much better things could—and should—be?

Who is the one operating from fear now?

Is it any wonder these people—at best—see education as a way to “get a good job” or, at worst, a good way to “promote the war effort.”

Ironically our current education system evolved to do just that, an assembly line for producing good worker-bees. The 40s and 50s really fucked up America. (I am astounded how many American citizens do not even realize “in God we trust” was never put on anything by our founding fathers. It was added by intolerant conservatives in power in the 50s. The same type that got one of the world’s most famous rapists and murders his own holiday, Columbus Day.)

On the contrary, the best educators known to the world, Socrates and company, where killed for their successful systems of education.

Which one do you think taught the most relevant skills, knowledge and abilities?

No wonder the Gutenberg Press was despised by those in power (until new people in power learned to exploit it).

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