Alice Waters wasn’t trying to convince all of us to start eating organic eggs.
She just wanted to open a restaurant that served what she called “real food.” She wanted greens from local garden, beef from a farm near town, and eggs from chickens close to her restaurant-- not from an industry a thousand miles away. In a world of packaged and industrial food, she was an outlier—but Waters was on to something. Her restaurant became a sensation, inspiring chefs around the country helping to spark what came to be known as the Farm-to-Table movement.
She just wanted to open a restaurant that served what she called “real food.” She wanted greens from local garden, beef from a farm near town, and eggs from chickens close to her restaurant-- not from an industry a thousand miles away. In a world of packaged and industrial food, she was an outlier—but Waters was on to something. Her restaurant became a sensation, inspiring chefs around the country helping to spark what came to be known as the Farm-to-Table movement.
| Everyone has always known that our food comes from farms. The farm to table movement hasn’t changed WHAT we think about food—it’s changed HOW we think about food. That revelation has sparked a revolution—and now you can get organic eggs everywhere. What the hell does this have to do with education? | what the hell does this have to do with education? |
We’re on the verge of a similar movement, people. Yes, education is overrun with movements. We’re awash in ‘em, from Artificial Intelligence to Flipped Classrooms to 21st Century Skills Instruction.
But I think there’s an Alice Waters-level insight, something simple and familiar, that could change education across the country.
Study after study says that a student’s success in a school are dominated by two factors: her family’s income level and the quality of her teacher. It’s not the school buildings, advances in Ed Tech (sorry), or even (gasp) the students.
But I think there’s an Alice Waters-level insight, something simple and familiar, that could change education across the country.
Study after study says that a student’s success in a school are dominated by two factors: her family’s income level and the quality of her teacher. It’s not the school buildings, advances in Ed Tech (sorry), or even (gasp) the students.
| It’s time for a Farm-to-Table Movement for Education. The quality, locally sourced ingredients are the teachers. And the “farms” are the richness of their experiences, the broadness of their lives. Whether hiking a trail in the Andes, taking a welding class, training for a marathon, talking shop over a coffee with a fellow teacher, raising a daughter who loves to code, or finishing a masters in biochemistry, teachers become better teachers living full lives outside of the classroom. |
| Want to help improve our schools? Don’t just care about WHAT teachers are doing. Care about HOW they are living and learning outside of school. It’s a revelation that might just spark a revolution. Speaking of a trying to live a rich teacher life, I'm headed to SXSWedu 2017. See you at a session or keynote or maybe at the taco stand. I’ll be with a crowd of teachers, talking about life. |  |
SOURCES:
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/great-teachers-great-leaders.pdf
http://www.rand.org/education/projects/measuring-teacher-effectiveness/teachers-matter.html
http://www.edudemic.com/guides/flipped-classrooms-guide/
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/10-hallmarks-21st-century-teaching-and-learning
https://lettuceeatkale.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/cultivating-controversy-in-defense-of-an-edible-education/
http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/22/travel/alice-waters-culinary-journey/
PHOTO CREDITS:
taco/beer photo credit: http://www.martinresortstravellog.com/
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