Drawing the Line

"We have to do it this way to prepare the students for college."

"We have to do it this way to prepare the students for the real world."

Have you ever heard either (or both) of these as justification for some classroom practice, be it instructional or behavioral?  For example:

"We have to take points off if the assignment is late.  The students need to learn that turning things in on time is important in the real world."

Or,

"The students need to learn how to sit through a lecture and take notes, since this is what they'll see in college."

Let's assume the reasoning here is sound, that taking points off of an assignment actually teaches kids responsibility and that students actually learn well from lectures in college. If these are true, then shouldn't we be doing the same things in middle school to prepare the students for high school, which in turn will prepare them for college and the real world?  In which case, shouldn't we be doing the same things in elementary school to prepare the students for middle school, which in turn will prepare them for high school, which in turn will prepare them for college and the real world?  And therefore, shouldn't we be doing the same things in kindergarten to prepare the students for elementary school, which in turn will prepare the students for middle school, which in turn will prepare them for high school, which in turn will prepare them for college and the real world?  In case you don't see the absurdity of the logic yet, you must then agree that we should delivering 50-minute lectures to preschoolers and taking points off of their assignments if they are submitted late, because we need to prepare them for college and the real world.

So where do we draw the line?  When do we say, "OK, this is where research-based classroom practices end and preparation for college and the real world begins."  Here's a thought: Don't abandon best practices in the classroom, ever.  Focus on helping the kids develop the skills they will need regardless of what (or who) shows up next.  Skills like collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance.  Skills that will come in handy when the lecturer is unclear or the boss is unpredictable.  Skills that can be acquired in any classroom through any content. 

Oh, and by the way, it's interesting how often those who believe in the importance of turning things in on time are the first people to ask for a deadline extension (or just assume that the deadline doesn't apply to them), and those who believe in the importance of being able to sit through a lecture are the same people who can't last five minutes in a meeting or workshop without displaying the kinds of behavior they would never tolerate if they were in front of the room.