This week I saw a sign in the Iola Middle School that said: It is what it is. Deal with it. Move on.
To be honest, I wanted to rip the sign into pieces.
I have a friend who says well, it is what it is. Every time she says it, I respond by saying, until you change it.
I realize that some things are unchangeable. There are some things that no matter what a person does, no matter how much we wish or try to change, things will remain as they are, and yes, its time to move on.
I dont think the message on that sign is that.
I do think it is what it is is a dangerous thing to teach young people. What would be more empowering is to teach them that they have the ability to right a wrong. They have the power to change the world around them. If they are willing to put in the effort and stick with it, they have the ability to promote change.
Problem-solving and critical thinking are as important for people to learn as anything else on a school curriculum.
Problem-solving skills give the individual the ability to find solutions to difficult and complex issues. And critical thinking is the ability to take time to do some reflective and independent thinking on an issue or problem. If someone has the ability to think critically, they understand the logical connection between ideas.
When you can understand the logical connection between ideas, then the decisions that you make are based on fact and ideas independent from the opinions of others.
There is a terrific article by Acer For Education that lists six reasons why critical thinking is important for students. Students are prepared for jobs that dont yet exist. It improves students flexibility and learning skills. Critical thinking is the essence of democracy. It makes education less passive and more interactive. It helps students better express their ideas, and critical thinking and problem solving make the next generation more adaptable to change.
If every time a problem is presented, the answer is it is what it is, the person learns nothing.
Trying to solve a problem and finding yourself falling short is not a waste of time. Attempting to change something that needs to be changed and not being able to do it is not a failure. A person has just learned ways that didnt work.
Nelson Mandela said, It always seems impossible until it is done.
What better sign and what better lesson to teach than this? Kindness matters!
