Why Swim With Sharks?

Recently, our school district brought in a motivational speaker. He told a “true story” about a pro surfer being attacked by a shark during a surf meet. I’m sure it was meant to be inspirational, and, well, it was. But I was inspired in a totally different way than he intended.

So, the story went like this - the “Reader’s Digest Condensed Version”. A number of years ago, a professional surfer by the name of Nick Fanning was competing in a surf meet in South Africa. While he was waiting for his wave, he was attacked by a great white shark. He wasn’t bitten or harmed as he was able to fend off the shark with his surfboard. Supposedly, two weeks later in Australia, he was attacked a second time. Before a subsequent meet, a reporter asked him why he kept going back out, he replied, “because I love the waves more than I fear the shark.” The message was that we should not let our anxieties or fears get in the way of our passion. What I heard was, “stop whining, suck it up, and drive on. You love teaching. Because kids, you know?” The last part is true, I do love teaching, but, like so many, the stresses of the system are outweighing my passion for teaching. If you’re reading this, it may be you as well. 7 out of ten teachers are on that board. Parents are pulling their kids out of public schools in droves. And, let’s face it, the kids don’t want to be in school. They find it tedious, boring, and unproductive,

Anyway, I did feel it was a wonderful story. I thought that what we all needed was a surfboard, or some shark repellent. I decided to find that story and learn more, and, well, this is what I learned. Nick Fanning did not experience that second attack. Nor could I find that quote that was attributed to him. What I did find out is that the “shark attack” was actually more of a “shark encounter”. The shark was never aggressive toward our intrepid surfer, although he did wisely keep his surfboard in between himself and the shark. At one point the shark did get entangled in the leash of the board and eventually bit through it. Nick was pulled from the water and taken safely to shore by a lifeguard on a jet ski who was doing his job. Still a good story, and still inspirational. It occurred to me that what we need is not shark repellent, or a surfboard, or a higher passion. What we need is that lifeguard on the jet ski. And that is unschooling.

Liberated learning. This movement is the face of what I feel is a much-needed change to the educational system. Students and teachers working together doing what they want, how they want, and when they want in pursuit of education. Free from endless testing, canned curricula, and legislated standards. Freedom to teach. Freedom to learn.