With the push to increase the rate of college-ready students, electives sometimes get forgotten. After all, if students are striving to gain acceptance to prestigious universities, their “electives” will likely be “academic”–third and fourth years of world language, math, and science. Electives in quotes here because students meet the minimum graduation requirements and A-G requirements with one or two years of these subjects. But, a third and fourth year are typically recommended. So, the “extra” courses in these disciplines fulfill the elective requirement for graduation.
But, what about true electives–those courses that allow students to explore areas that may not be considered academic?
I recently wrote about my son taking health over the summer so that he would have the opportunity to take a year-long elective in the fall. He will take four required classes–English, math, science, physical education. In addition, he is taking a world language, the first year of which meets a graduation requirement, but two years of a world language is also necessary to meet A-G requirements for college. Thus, he is left with one opening for an elective and he has this option because he completed the health requirement over the summer. Had he not done this, he would have taken the semester health class and then would have had limited semester-long elective options. However, there are many year-long elective options from which to choose including: AP Computer Science, Introduction to Broadcasting, Digital Photography, Web Design, Beginning Culinary Arts, Teen Court, College and Career Prep, Band, Percussion Ensemble, Chorus, Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Drama, and Art. While he clearly has his sights set on college, he opted for Beginning to Culinary Arts which is not generally considered a college-prep elective (though it does meet the A-G elective requirement). And, though he loves to eat and try new foods, he is not especially interested in cooking on a regular basis. But, he figured this would be a useful and fun elective. Plus, when we went to one of the introductory nights at the high school, he was impressed by the demeanor of the teacher and her description of the class.
I am happy that he has the opportunity to take a practical, hands-on class. All too often these hands-on courses are being eliminated. As a result, students often miss out on working with their hands and completing “assignments” in which students can clearly evaluate their own success. After all, if the pizza burns or the cupcakes don’t rise or the soup is too salty, students immediately know if they’ve successfully attained the outcomes. There is great value in this. Plus, they get pizza and cupcakes.
But, there is value in simply having a choice, too.
So much of a teen’s life is prescribed these days. High school has more graduation requirements and college acceptance has become highly competitive. (After all, when I was in high school, we only needed three years of English to graduate.) I’m not suggesting that the higher expectations of school today are a bad thing, but with the increase in rigor, there is a decrease in student choice. How are students supposed to discover their talents and interests if they don’t have any choice over their learning? In fact, I’ve heard some educators–administrators included–argue the value of fewer electives in an effort toward “equality.”
I don’t expect my son to decide to become a chef after taking culinary arts. But, I do anticipate that he will learn to use a knife effectively, follow a recipe, try new foods, avoid burning himself in the kitchen, and how to efficiently clean up a kitchen. I also expect he will practice measuring precisely, following directions carefully, and communicate as part of a team toward a common goal. According the teacher, he will also practice sitting at a table and conversing while enjoying a meal he prepared. How can this not help him develop and find his place in the world–even if he doesn’t want to be a chef?
Yes, too many choices can be crippling, as Malcolm Gladwell explores in his TED Talk Choice, Happiness, and Spaghetti Sauce. But, eliminating choices for high school students deprives them of the opportunity to explore new areas of study and practice. It deprives them of the opportunity to explore who they are, too.
A few years ago at the high school where I was teaching, one of my favorite students was adamant that she was not going to take extra math and science classes her senior year, despite prodding from her well-intentioned counselor. She was planning to enroll in a culinary arts program at a local community college. This student had already taken cooking classes, including an online knife-skills class (online because at the time she was too young to take the face-to-face class she wanted). Unfortunately, her high school did not offer any kind of culinary arts class. So, she took wood shop and guitar (along with the required English and Government and Economics classes) her senior year. She was also a teacher’s aide, largely because there were so few other elective options available for her. In fact, she gave a talk for our TED-Ed Club about how wood shop taught her how to cook. She learned to plan and measure, follow directions and create.
She pressed on, though. She completed her culinary arts program, is working in a kitchen, and continues to hone her craft. But, I have to wonder . . . what about those students who don’t know they have an interest in or talent for cooking? What about those who just want to learn to prepare tasty food for themselves and their families? Shouldn’t they get that option, too?
Update-Ed 
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