Quad What?

Wow...What Quad am I in most of the time? Hmmmmmmm...

My most honest answer for that question is that I am headed toward Quad D most of the time; however, if someone were to observe a random moment in the classroom--say, someone with an iPad and a list of Quad A questions with those all-important-boxes-needing-to-be-checked... Well, I am not too sure they would know that I am headed toward Quad D unless I actually would tell them that's where I am headed. So, of course I greet the iPad or clipboard-holder at the door and explain what's going on in the classroom that day and where we are headed. Cheating? Defensive? Cynical? Perhaps!

Obviously, I struggle a bit with categorizing and pigeonholing the education process; however, I really and truly want to do what is best for my kids, so I find myself thinking about what to teach and how to teach it all the time. For example, students have been writing and creating, so I know that higher-level thinking is going on... But I keep wondering, how do I make this "real world"? Do I even need to make it "real world"? I don't exactly believe that writing narratives and poetry is "real world," but I know that expressing themselves and sharing their work and ideas are skills they will need forever. Does that make it "real world"?  I am not completely sure, but I sure do hope so!