Rethinking Education

Dedication: This essay is dedicated to my daughters Aila and Sumay. Your creation of, “WEquil.School”, during the coronavirus outbreak inspired me to share my deeply personal story in hopes that it may help more kids learn to love learning.

Dear Friends,

I failed Kindergarten...and was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) shortly after. Most of my childhood I thought I was dumb. This was my big secret...but sometimes life presents opportunities to share our secrets in hopes that they may help a greater good.

As I write this essay, schools across the country are shut down, and parents are being forced to juggle work and educate their kids. For many parents...this is a struggle. But for many kids...it is the first time they have the opportunity to pursue their interests and experiment with learning in whatever way comes most naturally.

In this essay I share my own experience struggling through the traditional public education system, a system that has not changed much since the industrial revolution. I then provide several reasons why I believe that our new digital, personalized and creativity driven economy requires a rethink on how we learn.

My hope is that my story can inspire others who felt or feel like failures. I want them to see that the most successful path in front of them is to embrace what makes them unique...and to learn to love learning.

Picture: Baby Sumay