I never understood geometry very well when I was in high school and found proving theorems to be tedious and totally NOT useful to me at all.  I studied and made it work, but it wasn't until much later that I finally I discovered that geometric principles would be very useful to me in the real world. Now I look back and wish that my high school Geometry teacher had helped me see how I might use this information with things I actually enjoyed.  Instead it wasn't until I taught Physical Education and began coaching, that I realized the importance of angles and shapes in my world as I needed to know how to pursue a faster opponent, diagram offensive plays, determine defensive strategies, and understand how they affected nearly every event in track and field.   In other words, geometry suddenly became relevant to me as an adult because I learned how to use it in the real world (transfer). Of course geometric principles are not confined to PE or sports, but actually happen in so many things we do like driving, hanging pictures on the wall or designing work space in the kitchen.

Something that is relevant has a connection to the subject matter; is pertinent; and applicable. It also must be something that interests and challenges us.  Relevance makes rigor bearable and learning meaningful.  If something is relevant, I get it.  My interest is piqued; I am interested, and therefore I care enough to learn it well or find out more.  Those "aha" moments we have are sometimes as a result of inspiration, but many times occur because a connection has been made and the material we once thought was difficult, suddenly makes sense, becomes relevant, and leads us to understanding... even Geometry!

We need to know and be able to do "stuff," but more importantly we have to know how and when to use all that "stuff" we know and can do.  Otherwise, it all becomes useless trivia, or memorized information that eventually slips into the abyss of our minds.  It is often said by many, including me, "if you don't use it you'll lose it."  I find that to be true about the things I've learned and filed away in my brain as well as the physical skills that I once possessed.  I wonder how much I failed to learn along the way because I didn't find that meaningful connection that allowed me to USE that information, and therefore save it for future use?  

This begs the question, "How do I make what I need to learn relevant so that I will be more apt to learn it well and use it again?"  I cannot rely solely on others to make that happen for me.  I have to be able to find connections for myself and be responsible for my own learning.   As educators and parents, we have to teach our kids how to make those connections and not just blow off a particular topic or subject as "boring" or "too hard" or because we perceive it as irrelevant!

Think about the people who don't care about a particular issue until it affects them personally.  Now that issue has become relevant because they care about how it impacts their life or the lives of their family or friends.  Relevance requires some emotional attachment to the learning, issue or situation.  We have to feel its importance and find a way to connect it to our own way of thinking and doing.  The kind and quality of the relationship you have with the person who is teaching you or the people you are working with affects the degree of relevance, and thus, the need to understand or to act.

Relevance requires an answer to the "why and when" questions we have.  Why do we have to learn this?  Why is this important?  When will I use this information or skill?  Consider how recognizing this need would improve the kind of directions we give and ultimately the quality of the results?  This concept relates to the business model of "Why, How, and What," by Simon Sinek that I discussed in a previous blog.  If we address the "why" before telling people what to do and how to do it, then we immediately increase the relevance because we have answered one of the big questions that helps us prioritize our need to know.  This applies to teachers, parents, bosses, and just dealing with the general public.   

History is an example of a subject that some people love and others loathe.  "Why do I have to know this" is a frequent lament of students.  There are many reasons to know and understand what happened in the past so that you can plan for the future.  But knowing that intellectually is much different than personally feeling the connection to "the need to know."  CBS recently went "On the Road" to North Carolina and found a 5th grade teacher that inspired his students to learn history by re- enacting a battle from the Civil War as a class project. The research required to produce the culminating activity (re-enactment) helped this significant piece of history become relevant to students who live in today's high tech world.  (To watch this short video, click here.)  I would encourage you to listen to and watch the details that have been learned.  Feel the emotion and empathy these children have experienced.  Rigor and relationships played a large role in making this learning experience relevant, and therefore, meaningful.

We all learn differently, have different interests, strengths and weaknesses.  So as educators, it is up to each of us to help students learn how to find relevance in what they study.  Parents face the same challenges.  Taking the time to get to know someone (relationships) improves the chances we will understand those individual preferences so we can help students find meaning in the challenges (rigor) of their learning experiences.  I know for myself, that relevance is a motivator that gets me going and keeps me interested.  This is especially important if the task is not something I really enjoy. 

Relevance also requires us to stay fresh and be willing to change and grow.  What are you doing to be relevant?  To teach in a relevant way? To encourage relevance in your own kids or students?  What is relevant today may be irrelevant tomorrow.  Once upon a time I kept a diary.  Now I blog or journal on my computer.  Once I was proud to have typed 50 words per minute on a manual typewriter.  Now you find them in museums and antique stores.  Finding relevance requires effort.  Staying relevant requires reflection and revision.

Finding relevance is an intentional behavior and is most often present when there is sufficient challenge to interest me, and the necessary relationships to support me.  Only then will this new learning be beneficial to me in another situation down the road and not just saved for a trivia contest.  Even Geometry can become meaningful.

Rigor....by definition it means to challenge; to prove difficult; to be a hardship; or to require special effort to attain a goal.  

Wow!  Rigor sounds like it could be pretty unpleasant, harsh, even scary ... But I'm finding  it's something we should value in our personal lives, in education, and in our work world too.  This is the 2nd of a 3 part blog series on The 3 R's: Rigor, Relevance and Relationships where I will explore why Rigor should be embraced instead of erased.

Rigor ramps up our thinking, our interest, and our energy.  But rigor scares us... because it can be hard.  Yet it's during those times of challenge or hardship that we often find out who our true friends are... the ones who stand beside us, support us, and help us overcome the obstacles in our path.  In times of adversity, we band together with others to solve a problem, to offer ideas, or get ideas, because in most cases "all of us are better than one of us!"

Rigor gives meaning to what we do, adding depth to our feeling of success because we overcame a difficult task.   I love to win, and will never turn down a win, but when you win a close game, come from behind, or knock off a top ranked opponent, the victory becomes sweeter because of the rigor of the game.  When things are too easy, we get bored.  When things are rigorous, we pay attention because we have to concentrate in order to understand.

I think about the role rigor plays in my relationships as well.  My husband and I are better together when we have a project... the project provides challenge, interest, and requires us to achieve a goal.  I find this true with my friends too.  Even when we just meet for lunch, if we have a problem to tackle, I am better for it because of the perspective I gain from my friend.  We stereotype retirees as sitting in their rocking chairs on the front porch, but frequently they need to find more meaning in their lives so they may opt to get another job, volunteer, or find projects that require significant effort.  That keeps them relevant and involved with others.  

Consider the role rigor plays in good health.  A rigorous exercise program keeps us physically healthy.  Word games and puzzles challenge our brains and forestall the effects of aging.  You gain much from a little sweat and some difficult thinking.  While our goal is often to make something easier to manage, easy is not always the best path to success.

But can we have too much rigor?  Of course, but balancing the need for rigor against the frustration of too much rigor is a distinction we must make, and something we must not be afraid to do.  Rigor implies hard work.  Rigor scares us.  Rigor makes us uncomfortable when we don't know the answer.  Rigor is often the first thing to be cast aside because it's a quick fix.  Expectations slide as we water down the content or the process so that the goal becomes easier to obtain.  It is a given that challenges must be developmentally appropriate, but sometimes we under estimate what challenges we can present or accept because we have doubts or lack the background knowledge.  In our  effort to be helpful, reduce stress, or save time, we often sacrifice or chip away at the challenge of the situation and the result may not be what we'd actually hoped for.  In a classroom we might find teachers reducing assignments, planning simpler activities, or choosing a text resource that has a lower reading level.  But did that really accomplish the learning goal?   Why not keep the rigor, but teach them HOW to deal with the presented challenges?

The Common Core State Standards, now called College and Career Ready Standards in Kansas, require the infusion of rigor in curriculum.  That scares some people.... both within and outside of education.  Yes, it will be challenging as teachers to learn to teach like that (again) and for students to learn how to use what they know, but the end result will make both the teaching and the learning more meaningful.  Relevance (the next topic in this 3 part blog series) and Relationships (the previous topic) will be enhanced by the increased rigor as we come together to promote higher thinking levels, problem solving, and application of knowledge and skills.  Rigor will require thinking, effort, and perseverance... traits that will be helpful to our students into higher education or the work world.  Learning must be active, engaging, meaningful, and challenging.  We must embrace the challenges and allow them to take us to new heights!

What would rigor look like in the classroom?  Students would be asking questions, using higher level thinking to analyze, synthesize, evaluate and revise.  Teachers would be facilitators of learning instead of the sole deliverer of the knowledge (the person doing the work is doing the learning).  Problem solving would be a regular occurrence - and not just in math!  Project based learning and performance assessment would be the norm.  That means fewer worksheets and fewer multiple choice tests (all students are now breathing a collective sigh of relief!). Active engagement in the learning would make that learning more fun, effective, and meaningful.  Writing and technology would be used to enhance learning and demonstrate understanding.  Subjects would be integrated instead of compartmentalized (what I learn in math could be applied to science!).  Learning is applied and transferred to real life situations.  Suddenly rigor becomes relevant!

So I encourage you to give Rigor another look.... face demands head on and enjoy great satisfaction when you achieve those goals.  And don't forget to celebrate your success!