“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” That wonderful quote is often attributed to Henry Ford. And though there is great debate as to whether he actually said it or not, the sentiment is absolutely fantastic. It suggests that people don’t always know what they need to know, even if they fervently think they do. Back in his day, Ford envisioned a far different world. A world where cars moved people from place to place, rather than horses. A world few others could have even dreamt of at the time. Back then, faster and stronger horses were the logical goal. A goal the masses would have been clamoring for since that was all they could envision. But Ford had other plans, for he could see what was possible, even when everyone around him could not.
Isn’t that what teachers do every day? You walk into your classroom or rehearsal hall and set a path for students to accomplish what they can’t even imagine. You set the pace. Your set the course. In many ways, you set their destiny. And though they may want the educational equivalent of faster horses, it is up to every educator to teach them what they need to know to “drive a car.”
Peter Loel Boonshaft, Director of Education
KHS America
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