"There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."
Historian, economist, demographer, and author Neil Howe uses that 1936 quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt to sum up the expectations and potential of the kids who currently populate our classrooms. His ASCD Annual Conference General Session presentation offered perspectives on the educational implications of teaching a generation of students he calls "the Millennials."
The first Millennials were born in 1982, he said, and graduated high school as the Class of 2000. "Remember ‘Baby On Board’ stickers on minivans?" Howe asked. These are those babies, growing up now in a high-pressure world and thriving in ways that seem alien to their Baby Boomer and Generation X parents—and teachers.
"They don't mind the pressure," Howe said, "as long as they feel like they're getting somewhere." Educators can help Millennials by recognizing that these boys and girls have unique characteristics. Know them, and you'll know Millennials.
"Seven core traits mark this generation as different from Boomers and Xers," Howe said. "They all have implications for school reform and school curriculum."
Millennials Are Special
These kids understand that they are a unique generation. "They are special in the eyes of parents, the community, and the media," Howe observed. "Kids like to talk about themselves as a generation."
Implications for education: Howe encouraged educators to take advantage of all that attention to serve students better. "Get the helicopter moms on your side," he joked, referring to active parents who are concerned about their children's educations. "Leverage the collective goodwill of the media and the public, who are paying close attention to Millennials."
Millennials Are Sheltered
"V-Chips, curfews, AMBER Alerts are all things we associate with today's kids," Howe said. They are used to being watched over, and unlike many of their parents, they don't mind. In fact, they expect it.
Implications: "Every school must provide a safe, protected, and accountable environment," Howe said. "Expect more pressure for small classes and small schools, structured communities that let no one fall through the cracks."
Millennials Are Confident
Howe said surveys show that today's teenagers are the only age group that has been getting happier over the last 15 years. "This generation is collectively optimistic about their economic prospects. The new idea is that every child is college ready, not just job ready," he noted.
Implications: "You have to stress positive outcomes for everyone," he advised. "Replace realism with optimism. Think win-win. Use contextual and project-based environments." Howe urged the use of personal progress plans that map students' future learning and growth.
Millennials Are Team Oriented
"They like groups; they like applying their energy to community projects," Howe said. "They use technology to plug into the group, through instant messaging and user groups and e-mail. They are the most 24–7 connected group in world history." He cited statistics on rampant teenage volunteerism that he called "simply astounding."
Implications: "Mobilize students as groups," Howe recommended. "Teach team skills. Create strong service links to the community. Focus on school engagement and connectedness. Help students help other students.
Millennials Are Conventional
Get this: Millennials get along with their parents. They even like a lot of the same music! "They define their life goals in terms of career, work–life balance, citizenship," Howe said. "They plan ahead. And they trust big institutions in ways that Boomers haven't."
Implications: Howe urged creation of core curricula every student is expected to master. "Enable students to celebrate progress," he said. "Make sure that every task is achievable with directed effort. Retool learning plans for continuous monitoring, assessment, and redirection. The best schools for Millennials instantly detect—day to day—the progress of every student. This generation expects that."
Millennials Are Pressured
With structured activities filling most hours in a day, Millennials feel pressure. They generally respond to it well. "They tend to think the things they do in school will have huge repercussions down the line. The old idea of the ‘permanent record’ from the '50s has begun to return," Howe said. "They're planning ahead all the time."
Implications: "Stress long-term life planning and guarantees over short-term opportunities and risks," Howe declared. "A lot of Boomer and Xer counselors think it's great to go out and make a lot of mistakes, that you learn from your mistakes. Millennials don't want to make any mistakes." Learning should be structured around goal mastery. "Figure out where you want the learners to be at the end of the year and then backward design all the curricula to get the student there. A sense of destination is what Millennials want in their curriculum," Howe said.
Millennials Are Achieving
Most Millennials embrace educational challenges. "They largely agree that standards should be higher in school," Howe said. "Seventy-five percent of high school students now say they want to go to a four-year college. We've all seen the statistics on the huge increase in participation in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The share of kids taking the SAT is 50 percent higher than it was back in the '70s; we have huge numbers of minorities and immigrant kids now taking the test."
Implications: "Keep every student challenged," he encouraged. "Emphasize achievement over aptitude and effort. Incorporate cutting-edge networked technology into the curriculum; that's the one way noncollege kids believe they can keep up with their college-bound peers. Finally, encourage teachers to set an example themselves of professional achievement and lifelong learning."
Howe sees great potential in the Millennials, a generation that can accomplish big things. Maybe they can even inspire their teachers, he said, as they tackle with enthusiasm a daunting world.
"This generation is going to define the 21st century much like the G.I. Generation defined the 20th century," Howe said, recalling the cohort that weathered the Great Depression and won World War II. "They are going to face many burdens as they grow older: geopolitical, environmental, fiscal, economic. When you look at this generation—protected, team-playing, confident, collectively optimistic—you see some of the traits that we saw in their grandparents."