My experience tells me that most people use the phrase “the Gold Standard” to refer to the status quo, with a particular eye toward preserving it.
We love using this phrase to describe traditional classroom teaching.
I mean, everyone can look back at all their classes and coursework and teachers and admit that sitting at the feet of so many dynamic and engaging teachers has made us all what we are today. Right?
We can all think back over our formal education and point to the dozens of memorable and impactful teachers whose physical presence, spoken words, and creative activities have made this form of teaching the “gold standard.” Right?
We’ve all walked up and down the hallways of our schools and university classroom buildings, taking time to absorb what is going on in each class, and realized that our current model for disseminating learning is obviously the best we can do (and the best way to do things, in general). Right?