Author David Epstein uses tons of research to challenge our conceptions on everything, education included
Range isn’t a book on education.
Yet I’m certain it’s one of the best book for educators to read right now.
Author David Epstein challenges a lot of conventions about success in his (relatively) new book. And many of those convention apply to today’s American education system.
Here are five conclusions I’ve come to after reading Range, and how they apply to education today.
1. The Need for Longitudinal Data Analysis on Students to Measure Teacher Effectiveness
“(Teachers) who excel at promoting contemporaneous student achievement, on average, harm the subsequent performance of their students in more advanced classes.” (Pg. 91)*
“The most basic message is that teachers and students must avoid interpreting current performance as learning.” (Pg. 92)#
Counterintuitive Conclusion: Teachers of students who get high marks on standardized / exit exams may actually be harming the long-term growth of those students.
I think most great teachers, intuitively, understand this. We can either teach explicitly the content, or we can help students become responsible, independent learners. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. And there are great teachers who do both. But right now, testing culture promotes one goal over the other. And it’s not the right goal.
A better solution would be to aggregate data on students to analyze teacher effectiveness. A teacher in third grade that empowers students and promotes independent thinking should see more gains in future years, though not necessarily on tests in the immediate. Let’s reward teachers who promote life-long learning, not teaching to the test.
2. The Importance of Teacher Movement
“Teachers are more effective at improving student performance after they switch to a new school, and that… effect is not explained by switching to higher-achieving schools or better students.” (Pg. 132)
Counterintuitive Conclusion: Struggling (and strong) teachers might benefit from a change of scenery. Instead of giving up on ineffective teachers, moving them to another school could benefit teachers and students.
I’m not 100 percent sold on the idea that this is just about finding the right “fit,” as Epstein asserts. I know from personal experience that, every time I’ve changed schools, I’ve been challenged in new ways, which has helped me grow professionally.
But regardless of the reasons, the conclusion is the same: Teachers oftentimes benefit from a change of scenery. If a teacher is making a concerted effort but continues to struggle, instead of simply giving up on that teacher, finding a better place for that teacher to grow and succeed is optimal. Heck, we do this for students already. So why not teachers?
3. An Increased Call for Teacher Collaboration and Team Teaching
“The more contexts in which something is learned, the more the learner creates abstract models, and the less they rely on any particular example. Learners become better at applying their knowledge to a situation they’ve never seen before, which is the essence of creativity.” (Pg. 77)
“New collaborations allow creators ‘to take ideas that are conventions in one area and bring them into a new area, where they’re suddenly seen as invention.’” (Pg. 280)@
Counterintuitive Conclusion: All schools should promote team teaching, not just for student accountability, but also for content coordination.
Think of this at the McGyver Principle: The more varied information is presented to students, the more creative students are with their solutions to complex problems.
When is a paper clip not a paper clip? When it picks locks, points you to True North and disarms bombs.
When is the Pythagorean Theorem not just the Pythagorean Theorem? When you’re building bridges, trying to keep the sun out of your eyes, or downloading music. But we don’t usually think of applying the concepts of Algebra class to solving our digital problems.
Reinforcing content between different curriculum allows students to apply concrete ideas abstractly, solving problems in unique (to that situation) ways. If we truly want our students to be able to think creatively, then they need to see content in creative ways.
4. Giving Students the Grace to Quit
“Learning stuff (is) less important than learning about oneself. Exploration is not just a whimsical luxury of education; it is a central benefit.” (Pg. 130)
Counterintuitive Conclusion: If something is hard for a student and he / she hates it, consider letting the student quit.
This will undoubtedly raise eyebrows, and there is a caveat. Even Epstein admits that “no one in their right mind would argue that passion and perseverance are unimportant.” But the idea that we have to stick everything out to the bitter end might be holding some students (and teachers) back. After all, there’s an opportunity cost to drudging through a task.
Perhaps my favorite line in the whole book (which is a conclusion from author, businessman and entrepreneur Seth Godin) is, “winners… quit fast and often when they detect that a plan is not the best fit, and do not feel bad about it.”
School should be as much about fit as it is building range. Most schools offer choice. But maybe more choice (and fewer requirements) would be a good thing.
5. It’s Not a Book on Education (Or a Book for Educators)
“I always advise… people to read outside your field everyday something. And most people say, ‘Well, I don’t have time to read outside my field.’ I say, ‘No, you do have time. It’s far more important.’ Your world becomes a bigger world, and maybe there’s a moment in which you make connections.” (Pg. 282)$
Counterintuitive Conclusion: Educators should read more books about things other than education.
Full confession: This is an affirmation of a pet peeve of mine. I’ve met a lot of educators (even great ones) that tell me they read only books on education.
I don’t.
I find that, more often than not, they’re echo chambers of recycled thoughts with perhaps a new spin. Of course, there are always great books on education that pop up. My guess is, those books are written by people who read not only books about education (or primarily, even).
This whole post is for educators about a book that isn’t written for educators.
And in 10 years, when schools start doing longitudinal data analysis to measure teacher effectiveness, someone will write an educational book about it.
I won’t be reading it.
I already did.
All quotes are Epstein’s from the book except those indicated
*S.E. Carrell and J.E. West, “Does Professor Quality Matter,” Journal of Political Economy
#M. Braga et al, “Evaluating Students’ Evaluations of Professors,” Economics of Education Review
@B. Uzzi and J. Spiro, “Collaboration and Creativity,” American Journal of Sociology
$An interview between Epstein and scientist Arturo Casadevall