If you take revealed preferences seriously, it's possible that the most important parts of the school experience are the ones that adults will willingly choose to subject themselves to.
This leads me to the terrifying thought that I may have underestimated gym class.
This leads me to the terrifying thought that I may have underestimated gym class.
But if you consider the courses I actually liked a) if I told friends or family "Yeah I'm doing an hour a week of US History because I love the material" they'd think I was borderline crazy and b) if I did that *like school does* I would think I was crazy, too.
"And here's a quiz to make sure you did the reading."
"Not sure why you need to check that, but don't worry, I did the reading."
"Oh I don't trust you and also need some time during this hour so here, quiz."
"Wait walk me through that again."
"Don't talk back to me."
"Not sure why you need to check that, but don't worry, I did the reading."
"Oh I don't trust you and also need some time during this hour so here, quiz."
"Wait walk me through that again."
"Don't talk back to me."
"I... I think I'm hiring you for your expertise on the subject of US History and the teaching of it. Did I check the wrong box and sign up for some social dominance service instead?"
"No we call this teaching now sit down and quiz."
"I... think I'm leaving."
"You literally can't"
"No we call this teaching now sit down and quiz."
"I... think I'm leaving."
"You literally can't"
Another revealed preference thing which is scary to contemplate: I loved US History, to the point of even declaring a desire to major in and teach it at one point, and while I don't think I've changed on the subject it represents maybe ~2% of the books I choose to read.
So is my takeaway that I didn't love US history, that my preferences have changed as an adult, or that the wide world has a lot more interesting things in it that I would stackrank above US history but since I could only choose from the limited universe on offer US history it was
(I apologize for somewhat quirky-for-me philosophizing on this issue. Having children is really a trip, particularly if you hear "Why do I have to go to school today?" and decide to take it maximally seriously.)
