What is your "Real World Connection"?

A  great man shared the other day how we want our students to go to Penn State, not the state pen @Principal El. As I visited my younger (21) brother in the State Jail this weekend, this thought ran through my head over and over again. We visited for two hours and as he talked about the things he did on the outside , even though they were not good, I listened. 

Looking around at what he lives in contact once a week, no air, crappy food and the complete loss of freedom I was deeply saddened. It then came to mind that he talks about the things he did on the outside because it connects him to his real world, this is the only real connection from where he is at. 

Many times we talk about connecting learning to the " real world" to help our students learn. My question is, Do we know their real world? As educators have we taken the time to build the relationships needed to connect with the " real world " of our students. 

It is great to connect learning with things that students can relate to but do we know them well enough to know what that might be. We must build our relationships around each child's real world, for each world is different. Many years I have taken students on their first trip ever to the zoo. Without this opportunity would they know what a lion is, of course they would, but would their connection be " real world"? 

Although we may not always be able to change the path of every child , we must work to connect with their "real world". Principal El I will be leading my kids to Penn State , not the State Pen. My brother will be there another year and I encourage him daily to get his GED. He is very intelligent, made some wrong choices, no one took the time to connect to his real world. Educators are you ready to make those connections? 

Thanksgiving 2011-he was arrested two weeks later.