Adulthood

Sometimes when I'm teaching, I'll hear under someone's breath, "Why do I need to know this?" I'll turn to them and explain that one day they'll understand that the Virginia Plan took the form of the House of Representatives and the New Jersey Plan was conceptualized to form the Senate, but really deep down I want to say, "there is going to be a lot of crappy things that you'll have to do in your life and doing this reading and worksheet is going to prepare you for it." As I was reading an article for one of my classes today I came across this quote from John Ogbu: "whatever else education may be, from the standpoint of society it is preparation of children for adult life as adults in their society conceive it." We have high and noble expectations, but really when is anyone going to ask you about the Great Compromise? We want to conceive adulthood as a chance to use what we've learned, but really it's just working, paying the bills, eating, and sleeping...at least for some of my students. Whose adult life are we talking about?