But be careful, for “why” is a stick with two ends, a piercing probe sharper by far than the blunt weapon of “what.”

And you, my friends, you are well-acquainted with “what.” True. You picked him up long ago. We dropped him before you as you crossed the threshold of your education.

Of course, “why” was there, too, but he fell in the tall grass when we dropped him, and we let him lie, hoping he remained hidden from view, and you, distracted, did not see.

But for the better we believed, for why is poky and sharp, better for kids not to play, with that which is dangerous. And with that, “what” became enough.

Didn’t it? Every day. Every day, you walk in here. And every day you ask me, “What are we doing?” But you never ask me why.

Why. Curious little word. Thought it when I wrote the above passage from my “Ask Me Why” injustice speech that I wrote alongside my kids three years ago, and I still think it now. Why don’t we ask why?

Yesterday, this curious little word found me again as I stumbled around in my head, looking for inspiration for a #MyRoomMessage.

Finding some traction after reading it to my kids second period, I decided on a whim to run with it a bit, challenging my kids to ask a teacher “Why?” this week. However, I framed it in terms of their sincerely seeking to understand, using tact, and not just trying to be a pain in the ass. Of course, I then became the teacher to whom they posed their why’s, and I obliged as best I could to field their inquiries.

And then I got to thinking and came up with an idea. Maybe they don’t ask why because it, as I offered above, is just not a part of our culture in education. Oh, I think we pay lip service (and many do much more but we still have a long ways to go) to curiosity and inquiry in the classroom, but we do seem to only skirt around “why,” devoting more attention to the “what” and “how” of things than the “why” of things. But why?

Make no mistake why is poky. Coming from the young it is often regarded as annoying or insolent. It is not their place to question our authority. But it’s not just the young who have become cowed into avoiding why. We, too, have been if not cowed into, then content with sidestepping why.

Take grading for instance. Most can articulate what they grade and how they grade it, but few can probably really articulate why they grade the way they do. And most who dare that path come to discover there’s little more to the genesis of their grading practices than it’s how they were graded. Ought we not have a better reason than that? I believe we should, and I am not alone, for many who have ventured into the realm of why learn that why leads to why and they evolve, as they look deeper into their practices.

And it’s that “deep look” that I seek from and for our kids. And I believe it starts with “why.” We have to make this a part of our culture if we want to change our culture. I want to change our culture, and so I’m encouraging kids to ask why.

But “why” bears responsibility. It must be sincere. But sincere doesn’t mean safe. Why is and will always be a little poky, for it is a challenge. And we have to think deeply and truly about our why when pressed. And we have to meet sincerity with sincerity, which means we have to be genuine and admit when we don’t know. And we have to give others that grace when we probe. Our goal is to understand not undermine, to make better not worse. And that takes commitment. Asking why is not an invitation to a casual conversation. It says, “I want to know; I want to understand.” It says, “I am here for the long haul.” And if we’re not, then it’s not sincere, and we shouldn’t ask the question. Why is a responsibility.

Too, we bear the responsibility of maturity. Something I am diligently trying to instill in my kids. Sometimes–maybe often times, we will not “like” the reason. But our liking or not liking does not alone determine the value of the response. And, again here, sincerity comes into play. Answers offered sincerely from a place of introspection and reflection need to be regarded as honest attempts to answer why. In that there is value. In that there is ownership. In that there is possibility of better, for why gets to the center, and that is where growth happens–for all of us.

But how can we make it a more prominent part of our culture? Well, as with many of the “culture-changing” things I want to see happen in education, I am going to start where I live: in my room. So, to make “why” more familiar and necessary, I am going to give it a place in our daily routine. We will now end each period with “Why with Sy.” I will ask my kids the why of our work, seeking to dig beneath the surface with them, so they see the value in why. Of course, I will grant them the grace of “I don’t know,” for especially in this case, if they don’t know why we’re doing something, I likely have some explaining to do. And I accept that responsibility.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…playing the prep game (sentence errors).

…delivering our “I’m From” poems.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…asking “Why with Sy.”

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all. No posts now till next Tuesday. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.