The Book "The Anxious Generation" and Teaching Project Based Learning

 I packed up my white bag with my planner, heavy laptop, water bottle and favorite pen and headed to the door, ready to blast my Audiobook again.  I have been listening to The Anxious Generation nightly and have been soaking up each and every word.  The basic premise of the book is that our kids and students are becoming more depressed and riddled with anxiety due to our smart phone culture and a lack of in person play.  It's not the most uplifting book, but I definitely recommend it if you are a parent.

The idea that students are struggling more socially and emotionally now than ever before resonated with me, as it is something I have witnessed in my own home and also in the classroom.  Students seem to need more coaching on collaboration and teamwork today than they have in the past.  Some are arguing about small things, reluctant to settle disputes independently without adult guidance, and need more help when working with others than ever before.  Are the kids not getting along because they have not spent enough hours playing?  Did they spend too many minutes on a device or studying for test or studying alone for a math competition?

I watch as my two sons play their video games between their nightly baseball games and practices and wonder... did I provide enough time for the kids to go out and explore?  Are they making friends in the real world?  Is there a way to change their activities so they can play more and have more free time to experiment outside, test their limits, and learn who they are?  These are critical moments for my sons to develop their personalities, and I wonder if I am blowing it with too many scheduled activities. 

Ah, parenting is difficult.  There is no manual and life today is vastly different from yesterday.  I think life without the smart phone might have been easier, less distracting, and going back to basics seems like a logical solution to some of these problems.  The Anxious Generation discusses how more time is needed without adult supervision so kids can work through problems, find their identity, and make lasting friendships in a confident manner.  If adults constantly intervene when problems arise on the playground or in the streets, children do not learn to solve problems for themselves and grow their autonomy. 

This idea of play can take a different form in the classroom.  Rather than worksheets, strict rules and independent work, we can incorporate more Project Based Learning and Problem Solving and open ended exploration.  In my classroom, we already focus on Project Based Learning time, as it has been shown to help gifted kids develop social and emotional skills needed in the work force and it encourages them to think deeper about problems.  I will continue to implement this time within my schedule and additionally, I will ask my students to reflect on how their collaboration time went.  

I am reminded how important it is for students to be able to work together in the job force as well.  I can not think of many jobs that are conducted in complete isolation, and  the give and take needed in the work force is a skill that must be developed, just as logical thinking and number sense must be developed.  My students need to be able to work together to be considered for a promotion in the future, interview well for a top job, or gain happiness in a close net social circle. 

The longer I teach, the more certain I am that social skills and collaboration skills are equally, if not more important, than intelligence.