It is easy to dismiss something as a “fad”. I hear that a lot and the word is obviously used to dismiss something. I have used it myself, but I have been really rethinking this idea in the terms of education.
“Growth Mindset” might be considered a fad. The “flipped classroom” might be considered a fad. “Maker Spaces” even might be considered a fad.
But for any of these things to even be considered a fad, they have to be widely embraced by a large amount of people. Anything that is widely adopted or embraced, quickly becomes widely criticized as well. What is important to note is not that we shouldn’t ask questions or challenge popular thinking. I believe that makes us all better. But simply dismissing something as a “fad”, especially as an educator, sometimes shows a lack of willingness to learn about the strengths of any one trend. There are things that I would challenge and question about all of the things I listed (flipped classroom, growth mindset, maker spaces), but what I do know for sure, is that these things have people asking questions about their practice. That’s a good thing.
Even though no idea is perfect, there are always elements that will help students, if we choose to look for them. They may not help every student, but I have yet to see any one thing that helps every student. Learning is extremely personal, and there will be no “standardized” idea that solves all of the problems in education.
Challenging and questioning ideas is great, but simply dismissing them and labeling them as a “fad” might actually alienate the people that are trying to create something better for kids.