I made a resolution about 5 years ago (or more, I forget at this point) that was a response to what has become a standard expression in education.  The decision to eliminate this expression was motivated by a long standing belief that educators must be the prime advocates for teaching and learning, students, and the profession in toto.

Here is the expression I have stopped using in conjunction with practices and discussions about contemporary teaching and learning:  “In the real world.”

Some of the more frequent these applications of this phrase by administrators, teachers, students and educational companies include.

• “We must prepare kids for the real world.”
• “The class should be connected to the real world.”
• “Real world assessments are needed for…”

And there are other uses too. Think about it – have you heard “real world” used by educators? Is it something you say? This post shares some reasons that I hope you find compelling to shift your language, eliminate the “real world” phrasing, and make it a point to encourage colleagues, your network, and anyone else to do the same. Here’s why…

The WHY? behind moving away from “the real world”

I am a fan of saying what you mean. I am also a fan of thinking about the meaning of what has been  said.  The “real world’ phrase has both connotations and denotations which need to be analyzed. This practice, critical analysis, is summarized by psychologist/linguist Dr. James Gee in his work An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method.

“Critical approaches…go further and treat social practices not just in terms of social relationships, but, also in terms of their implications for things like status, solidarity, the distribution of social goods, and power…”

Language and discourse are social practices and it is important to think about what we as educators say. For example, Ron Ritchhart makes the case in Cultures of Thinking by exploring 6 components of language use in schools noting the import of “Using a language of thinking that provides students with the vocabulary for describing and reflecting on thinking.”

So, what are the implications of using the phrase “the real world”?

1. The content you are learning in school is good only in the walls of the classroom.
2. Learning ends with the bell and is confined to “school time.”
3. The “real world” is only out there and the experience of school (13 years of it) are devalued as they are not part of that “real world.”
4. Teaching is an isolated practice relegating teachers as gatekeepers to the next level of “unreal world” – school.

Ultimately, the use of “real world” highlights a conceptualization of school as a detached experience separate from what happens when students are not at school. Please note that I do not believe educators use the phrase intentionally as a pejorative expression.

However, I do argue that its use is a detriment to our field.   The good news is that there are easy pivots we can make  that remove the implied meaning and message listed above.

Alternates and applications to “the real world” phrasing

When you consider just some of the obstacles schools face – achievement gaps, expressing the value of an education, student engagement, conveying the purpose of studying a specific subject, parent involvement, shifts to instruction and assessment – we are reminded just how difficult teaching is.  Being able to articulate that the time being spent in school has explicit relevance to the time spent outside is essential.

The good news is that there alternatives.  The better news is that I have seen the alternatives being used with greater frequency and making that pivot away from such self-defeating statements like:

• “We must prepare kids for the real world.”
• “The class should be connected to the real world.”
• “Real world assessments are needed for…”

Of course I am happy and support the changes the applications above are seeking: to pivot educational experiences away from traditional learning (lecture, teacher centered, one size/way teaching, etc.).  I am aware that not all educators and students recognize the implied outcomes I identified. But if language is a key aspect or driver in education as Gee and Ritchart note, then it makes sense to change our practice. In short, these expressions and phrases are better:

• Learning that prepares you for the present and future
• Assessments that will utilize authentic audiences and/or contexts
• Experiences that will explore current issues
• Develop your understanding of the yourself, the community, and the world

To reinforce my claims, the alternatives I provide remove the negative implications coming from “real world.”   The expressions convey explicit intention and value, empower educators and students to act, and remove a fabricated divide between life at school and life not at school. Let’s explore these ideas a bit further!

The real world re-defined as “school.”

As I wrote the title of this section I thought with a wry smile “wow a novel idea.”   I am not sure when, where, or why the disconnect happened or gained popular use. Does the real world really start in your 20s?  No, it happens all the time. But, the items below are just a sample of what is out there supporting the claim that defines school as a disconnected place with learning experiences that are irrelevant:

• Entering the Real World: Timeless Ideas Not Learned in School 
• 7 Tips For Millennials Entering The Real World
• Off Campus and Into the Real World

But when I think about what is being written in these pieces, I conclude that these authors may not know of programs that empower students with knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are valuable both in and beyond school.  These ways of teaching and learning come to mind:

• Concept Based Curriculum
• Global Citizenship Education
• Essential questions and use of current issues
• Service Learning and Work Based Learning
• Project Based Learning and Performance Assessments
• Inquiry based instruction
• The International Baccalaureate 
• The AVID Program

That is a great list.  Where they intersect is, in my view, best summed up with this statement:

“The practices of forming students’ individual world views, identities, and values, developing their skillsets, and applying knowledge are all “real world”  activities done in school”

Being explicit about these as outcomes and objectives to education is essential. Indeed, the least real world experience students have is the taking of a multiple choice test as a summative assessment.  Yes, I know they exist outside of school (driving tests always get cited by proponents) but think about your own non-multiple choice filled lives (see video).

Thankfully, schools continue to articulate the benefits of current education through the development of “Portrait of a Graduate” visions and models.  This is being done largely by and imitative by  Battelle for Kids.  Their goal is:

By 2021, 21 percent of school systems across the United States are engaging with their communities to develop and implement a Portrait of a Graduate.

This establishes a common vision of what all students should know and be able to do to succeed in college, careers, and citizenship in the 21st century. We hope to reach a tipping point that creates positive momentum toward transforming educational opportunities for all students.

I have shared some of my favorite portraits below but be sure to check them all out here.  And note… they don’t have to use the phrase “real world”, because they frame teaching and learning, and time at school as relevant and valuable for the present and future in and beyond school.

Have a great 2019!