The Enemy's Gate is Down - Lessons in Learning from Ender's Game

Twenty-five years ago, I picked up my favorite book for the first time. I remember getting caught up in the story of a young boy who learns to find the means within himself and the other students to save the world. I read the book through the eyes of an adolescent. They eyes that saw the struggle to find oneself, the challenge of making difficult decisions, the need to win in order to survive and the desire to learn at times in spite of the teachers. It quickly became my favorite book, one that I read several times and when I became a teacher I passed down to many of my students. As the movie comes out, I have spent the last week listening to the audiobook. Reliving many of my memories as a child, but seeing the book through different eyes. At 40 years old, no longer do I relate as well young Ender Wiggin, but more to Colonel Graff. Now as I reread this book, once again does it bring meaning to my life and to my work. There are many lessons we as educators can learn from Ender's Game.

Learning Needs to Be Challenging Not Simply Rigorous:
Throughout the book, the children are presented with a multitude of games. The games itself are initially interesting, but it is not the game aspect that holds the students attention. After a while, the game aspect begins to fade and the children identify that the game itself is less fun. However, the children continue to pursue completing the game or task because the task itself provides interesting new challenges. Children become intrigued when they believe there is something solvable but the solution is not readily apparent. Simply increasing the amount of work, the detail within the work, or the level of precision required within the work does not increase learning or the desire to learn, but increasing the level of challenge can.

Learning Needs to Follow a Logical Progression:
When designing Ender's instructional program, the games were designed to become increasingly more difficult. Learning challenges started easy and became increasingly more difficult. Instructors started with managable tasks that engaged the students but were doable and increased both the challenge and pace as students were ready for them. The pacing of learning was based on the learners achievement and readiness for the next challenge. It is easy in committee meetings and administrative offices to establish pacing guides. However, if the objective is learning, shouldn't the learner's progression and success determine the pace.

It is the Students' Problem to Solve:
It is emphasized throughout the story that in order for Ender to reach the peak of his abilities, that he must never ever believe that the adults will rescue him. His success is solely dependent on the solutions he and the other students can create and implement. This is hard for us. Our compassion and empathy push us to lend a hand. However, we graduated. We passed the class. It is our task to create the logical progression, to provide the resources, but then we need to step back. We need to teach children to find answers, create answers, and seek each other out to solve challenges. The hardest part of teaching is to let the students do it without us. However, if we want them to do well on whatever measurement is before them, we need to let them figure out how to solve the problem on their own.

The Enemy's Gate is Down:
Ender's first learning in Battle School is that just because you enter a situation with one perspective, doesn't mean that it is the right perspective or that it is the perspective that should stay. In a world of Common Core, PARCC, and Smart Balance, doing more of the same with greater rigor isn't always right. Stepping back, shifting our view points as we approach challenges of teaching and learning. Risk-taking while keeping the end objectives in mind can create more powerful solutions. Finally keeping the overall objective first and foremost while not getting lost in details that distract but in the end do not matter is difficult but important. The "Enemy's Gate is Down" is all about becoming conscious of our perspective and questioning that vantage point in order to open up to possibilities of new solutions.

We aren't raising children to fight aliens, save the world, or to become little soldiers. However we are raising them to become innovative leaders with creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills. Our desire each day is to help them discover the best within themselves and others. As we prepare them for their adult world, one we can imagine but not necessarily predict, it may be time for us to re-orient ourselves. The Enemy's Gate is Down. I am excited that next month one of my favorite books will become a movie. I hope the movie doesn't ruin it for me.