"Is there something else you might want to want?"

We live in a cookie-cutter world. No matter how far we have come throughout history, there is still the idea that we must conform to what society expects of us. So why is that? We were taught and told how to get through life. Following a path determined by someone else is still a common discussion (Berger, 2014). In A More Beautiful Question, Berger talks with fellow author Seth Godin about the idea that we seem to follow a predetermined path when we should be asking, "Is there something else you might want to want- besides what you've been told to want?" (Berger, 2014, p. 186).

So how do we create a world where everyone is accepted as who they are? Like most things, while growing up, school is where we learn a great deal about the world around us and perhaps it is there that we are told to be or go a certain way. It is important for children to see themselves represented in the classroom but also to know and understand the idea that they can be whoever they want to be. One's identity is shaped throughout elementary years, and embracing one's true self, rather than becoming someone else or who someone wants you to be, is important. Fostering creativity and acceptance can lead to understanding and open-mindedness. Educators should model what it means to be one's own unique self.

How can education change and become a place where someone can truly be themselves? Teachers may need to take a step back and think about, what are we asking of our students? Am I expecting them to be and learn a certain way? Do I engage my students and incorporate lessons to allow them to question, experiment, and create? In the end, hope that maybe they will learn something more about themselves. In the end, teaching might be more than just learning standards and, where we need to begin to think about what Berger suggests, that we all can embrace some uncertainty and follow one's own spirit of inquisitiveness (Berger, 2014, p. 179). Then maybe we can all become who we truly want to be, that we can break free and ask ourselves, what do we really want?