When the testing stops

A young woman I admire surprised me about a week ago when I asked her about school.

Those of you who've read my memoir about substitute teaching, "Keep the kids away from the power tools," know how often I have been surprised by comments from young men and women.

It keeps happening.

When asked about how the last weeks of school were going, she said something to the effect that there wasn't anything to do now because the testing had been completed the week before. Nothing to fill the last week. Testing was done.

Can I just say here what I didn't say then, that: YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A TEST TO LEARN SOMETHING.

I hope it's the students and not the teachers with the no-test-no-need-to-learn philosophy. I hope the teachers manage to find information so interesting or facts so fascinating that the kids maybe just start learning for the fun of it.

And then keep learning, not only when the tests are done, but when the classes get out. And not only when the classes get out but when the graduation is behind them. And not only when graduation is behind them but always.

You're never too old. You're never too smart. Learning can be done anytime and anywhere. Just for the fun of it.