My grandmother was a teacher for many years in a one room schoolhouse in Eastern Washington. She had grown up on a farm where only the essentials mattered, and she felt the same way about education. I remember her saying that the 3 Rs were all a child needs. “Just give them the reading, writing, and arithmetic, and they are prepared for life.”

Grandma, if only you could see how times have changed. The Internet has made information ubiquitous – everyone has access to all the world’s knowledge for free. And while our students absolutely need a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy, today they need more than just the 3 Rs.

Effective education today encompasses what I call the “5 Rs”: Relationships, Relevance, Reimagining Reality, Real World Application and Reflection.

What do the 5Rs look like in your classroom? I’d love to share out teachers’ examples on my blog.

Until next time, keep learning!