Doug Lemov's field notes

I read a fair number of posts and social media comments bemoaning how X or Y is ‘destroying kids’ love of learning’ or ‘destroying their curiosity’ or something similar.

When I read them I wonder what data the writers have to support the assertion that kids love learning less or are less curious.  Than when?  How do you know? How would you know?

I’m not saying I don’t sometimes agree w the assertions the authors make … sometimes yes and sometimes no… I always think that such arguments are easily co-opted to support whatever a person already believes. X that I don’t like is destroying kids love for learning. Whether or not my gut tells me they are right about X,  it just seems like that is a very hard assertion to support empirically.  Cognitive bias in the flesh. There, I said it.