I Are Not Special By David Mccullough Jr., An English...

Science proves that no two humans are exactly the same. Even twins, although their genetic codes may be identical, their personal experiences and individual personalities set them apart. This individual uniqueness leads to the common belief that everyone is â€Å"special.† David McCullough Jr., an English teacher and son of a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, denounced this belief when speaking to graduating seniors at Wellesley High School in Massachusetts near the end of Spring 2012. His words, â€Å"You are not special. You are not exceptional,† went viral across the country (Tugend). McCullough’s words spark question to the common goals that older generations and America’s educational system insist upon our country’s youth. In other words,†¦show more content†¦His analysis of world history leads to the understanding of why schools function the way they do today. Gray explained that as the wave of industrialism overtook America around th e early 1800s, â€Å"employers saw schooling as a way to create better workers† (Gray). To them, the most crucial lessons were punctuality, following directions, tolerance for long hours of tedious work, and a minimal ability to read and write. Gray then connects this truth to the foundations of America’s educational system. Past generations believed that providing children with the moral and intellectual grounding needed to develop into competent adults would in turn provide for a successful working class and global advancement. Therefore, they developed their agenda for what children should learn: â€Å"moral lessons and disciplines, such as Latin and mathematics, that would exercise their minds and turn them into scholars† (Gray). Peter Gray uses these patterns in history to explain the purpose behind modern educational system’s roots. He then acknowledges that although core subjects such as arithmetic, literature, history, and science are important ar eas in which students need to form a full understanding in order to prepare for adulthood, they are no longer the only skills needed for future success. As our world changes faster and we face more unexpected challenges than ever before, we need to approach these challenges with innovative ideas and solutions. The process of