To Each Their Own Interests

One of the things I struggled with as a teacher was what material to teach. Probably many secondary (middle and high school) teachers struggle with this issue.

I imagine it would be even more difficult to determine what students should learn, especially millions of students. My classes were a mere 20-30 students and there was incredible variation in interests and personalities among them.

The reason I struggled so much with what to teach is because research proves (and I strongly believe) that learning happens best when kids are interested and engaged. It is highly unlikely that any single book will be interesting and engaging to all students in a classroom, even if there are only 20. So how can a rigid set of standards apply to millions of unique individuals who happen to be the same age?

How is it that someone with an advanced degree can determine exactly what millions of children should know at any given point in time? I believe that a second grader interested in dinosaurs should be able to pursue that. And a fourth grader interested in ecosystems should be able to explore that. But with standardization, students aren't allowed to explore their own interests in the name of "college and career readiness."