After reading Tim’s blog about John Taylor Gatto’s “The Six Lesson Schoolteacher,” I am both shocked and amused. Tim calls it “enlightening” which I would agree with, but I have to wonder why he was named the teacher of the year if he has such a cynical outlook. What exactly did his classroom look like? Didn’t he have someone to answer too? I realize that he won the Teacher of the Year award in 1991 (according to the article), but come on, even teachers then had some regulations to follow.
Maybe it’s the day I had at school, or the fact that I am not tenured and refuse to actually say what is on my mind half the time, but even in a “free-thinking school” there would still be some type of structure or order. Think about if driving school (which is almost obsolete) was directed in a free thinking manner…people are crazy enough on the road now, can you imagine the madness we would see if there were a bunch of free-thinkers on the road with no direction/rules in sight?
Sure some students may have their ideas crushed, but some others may just learn how to express their ideas at school instead of the home. Don’t schools also teach about how to collaborate with others that individuals probably wouldn’t ever choose to work with???
Free-thinking isn’t bad, I enjoy talking with people and listening to my students who are out-of-the-box thinkers (because I am not), I still say that there has to be some kind of guideline to follow. Sure most of what Gatto says about teaching students because they are no longer learning it from home is so very true, but I couldn’t imagine working in his type of school.
Of course, I would prefer to be able to actually teach instead of answering phone calls, directing students where they need to be, controlling the masses that should know to be quiet, or shuffling paperwork around…but I have deadlines, guidelines, and now facial lines to deal with these days.
I honestly think that maybe I should have waited to read the article, so I apologize if I offended anyone with my thoughts…but they are just that, my thoughts and I am sure that I will get responses about it….i’m still waiting on positive feedback myself. Maybe one day I can find the “Teacher of the Year” success and still not be cynical.
I, myself, enjoyed the article “Against Education.” Something interesting that caught my attention was the response from his grandfather when he stated he was bored. It made me think of how my father would push me to put my best forward. It’s important to teach ourselves and others that boredom is an inappropriate term. We’re only bored if we allow ourselves to shut off the ability to soar beyond normal reasoning. If we look hard enough, we can make anything fun. Just as working, it’s our attitude that decides if the day will be good or bad. I think our attitude and approach to learning will effect our students?
By: Diana Jackson on September 11, 2008
at 11:15 pm
As I stated, I think I just read the article with the wrong, as you mentioned, attitude. I totally agree that attitude is everything and our attitude will affect our students.
By: adelliott08 on September 12, 2008
at 1:40 am
I have had many of the same thoughts that were conveyed in this article. I often have thought that all of a students individuality is taken away and the focus is more on conformity rather than actual learning. I can appreciate having a good curriculum but if it is a good curriculum it must allow for some exploration and individual views. Socrates needed no curriculum map saying what he could explore and what he couldn’t he left it up to the student to explore themselves. Our current system does not allow students to study what matters to them individually, any curriculum that forces apathy through purpose or accident is bound to fail.
By: msujc on September 13, 2008
at 3:05 am
I love this article. And msujc i have had these thoughts to. Schools really do seem to push conformity. Schools seem to want to control the learning. And a good curriculum, as i am learning more and more, includes so many things that are not traditionally thought of as good curriculum criteria. And you are also spot on about our current system not allowing individuals to study what matters to them the most. Our tests also conform to the current system. We really need, as a society, to look at how we educate our youth. At present, most learn to be reliant learners instead of self-reliant learner.
By: jfraley79 on September 14, 2008
at 1:36 am