On a recent walk, after spending a day working with high school teachers on engagement strategies, I was listening to the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast. The guest, Allison Russell, spoke about the emotional intelligence of young people and mentioned that she had just found out that her daughter was part of Generation Alphawhich refers to people born after 2010. This was the first time I heard this term, which is surprising given that both of my children and many of the children I support are from this generation.
I had questions and wanted to know more. As I learned more about the attributes of the younger generation, I began to think about the implications for educators.
I have spent two decades as a literacy specialist training teachers and providing professional development and have seen many transitions in the field. I have supported teachers as they navigate frustration over rapid changes in curriculum trends and assessment requirements, and figure out where they stand. teaching to readand, in recent years, learning how to reach students during and after the height of the pandemic.
I currently train teachers at 18 K-12 schools in the Campbell Kapolei Complex area of Ewa Beach and Kapolei Hawaii. In conversations with teachers and leaders about current issues in our schools, including academic lags and behavioral challenges, COVID-19 is most often pointed to as the culprit.
In my heart, I have known for some time that the challenges facing our youth go beyond the pandemic. Learning what makes Generation Alpha so unique has helped me understand how we can change our practices accordingly to leverage this generation's strengths.
Understanding Generation Alpha
The name “Generation Alpha” It was coined by Mark McCrindle, generational researcher and corporate consultant in Australia. According to McCrindle, the children of Generation Alpha began to be born in 2010, the year in which the iPad and Instagram were launched. From their earliest years, he says, “they have been screen grabbers.”
in a interview 2015 In the New York Times, when asked about the name “Generation Alpha,” McCrindle said, “There was no point in going back to A,” noting that it is the first generation to be fully born in the 21st century. “They are the beginning of something new, not a return to the old,” he added.
McCrindle was right. These children are unlike any generation before them, which can be said of all generations; However, it is indisputable that Generation Alpha children have access to more information and connectivity at a younger age than any other generation, and we must consider that when educating them.
This generation was 10 years old or younger when the world shut down due to COVID-19. They experienced a world besieged by a virus and now have ingrained understanding that the action of one can affect the well-being of many.
These children are arguably the first generation to have devices in their hands before they could walk. They intrinsically understand how connected the world is, whether it's witnessing a virus moving rapidly around the world, communicating with family many miles away via FaceTime, or developing close friendships over social media with people like them. maybe they will never meet in person. These truths are simply part of how Generation Alpha's worldview is being formed.
Most of the oldest students in this generation are now in high school. As they progress through adolescence, moving from childhood to adulthood, they find ways to leave their mark on the world. This year, I have been working closely with high school teachers in several schools and have seen that they are struggling more than ever. I have been a part of numerous conversations about how these students have a harder time adjusting to current school norms. I have heard many teachers and administrators talk about learning loss, behavioral challenges, and developmental stagnation due to the pandemic. And I've heard repeatedly that engagement is low. Teachers are frustrated that students do not seem to have the academic or social skills expected in high school and often share that their students do not care about learning.
Somehow, it always seems to come back to the years that students missed during the pandemic and how the loss of those previous learning experiences prevents them from being successful now.
But I'm curious if there's something else at play as well. I wonder what this generation knows that we are not measuring. What have they learned that is not demonstrated in the tests they perform? How are educators creating the conditions that prepare them to shape this new world they were born into?
Leaning on the strengths of this generation
My focus this year with high school teachers has been student engagement. It has been helpful to develop a greater understanding of the unique strengths of Generation Alpha.
This generation of students can access any information they want, which may be why many educators I work with find that they are no longer engaged in learning in school. Many of these children believe (falsely) that there is nothing their teacher can teach them that they can't discover online. Therefore, the ever-present challenge of making learning relevant has become even more difficult.
One way to create relevance and engagement for our students is to lean on what they they worth. To help educators do this, I often ask them, “Do we know what our students value? If not, how can we know? One drawback for high school teachers is that many of their students are still discovering who they are and what they value, so our role is to support them in that exploration while crafting learning experiences.
As I worked alongside these teachers to consider what it means to successfully reach their students, we discussed how to leverage the strengths of this generation of students, including connectedness, curiosity, the capacity for empathy, and the desire for change.
This generation has a deep sense of global connection, which teachers can tap into. The teachers I coach say their students use technology to effortlessly connect with people around the world. Designing assignments that offer students opportunities to create something they can share with a broader audience (where their voices can extend beyond the classroom) has increased participation.
Curiosity is another attribute of Generation Alpha that I encourage educators to take advantage of. Having information at our fingertips has sparked the curiosity of these children and we need to create a space for the big questions they have. Creating more options in learning allows students to explore their curiosity. When I work with educators, we often start with a lesson plan that has been taught many times before and consider how we might modify it to provide more options. Sometimes that means having more ownership over what they learn. Other times it means having a say in how they learn or how they demonstrate what they understand.
Although it may not seem like it due to the angst of adolescence, most of the high school teachers I work with say that their students have a great capacity for empathy and a desire for change. In part, this is due to their stage of development, but it is also related to their connectivity. Through their digital worlds, these students are exposed to more people and ideas than previous generations. This, of course, has its drawbacks. For example, I talk to educators a lot about how their students' social lives are quite different from ours, and we need to teach them how to be cautious online and how to be good digital citizens. But it's also because of these rich digital lives that these students are aware of issues beyond their neighborhoods and communities, and why many are passionate about solving a variety of challenges, such as environmentalism and homelessness. Tapping into what matters most to our students can help us teach them in a way that empowers them to make changes.
These students do their best when they believe they can fight for what is right and win. As educators, although we cannot fully prepare them for what is to come because it is deeply uncertain, we can walk alongside them, sharing with them our life experiences, knowledge and wisdom. But it is important to honor their ways and resist the urge to force them to follow the path already trodden. After all, the path they will follow is one we have yet to travel.
In the book “Becoming Wise,” Krista Tippett, journalist and 2014 National Humanities Medal winner, writes: “What's interesting and challenging about this moment is that we know the old ways don't work. But we cannot yet see what the new forms will be.” What would happen if the children of Generation Alpha had knowledge about these new ways? Are we equipping them with the skills and confidence to bring these new ways to life beautifully, joyfully, and fairly?
As Generation Alpha goes through the transformation of adolescence, we must be there to nurture their vision and foster their power as they forge what comes next.