Then I started working in an Elementary School. And my thoughts are now... quite different. Now I'm not saying I'm going to shave and start going to church or any of that particular brand of madness. But that being said, a certain amount of conformity is required to keep society together.
Or to put it in a better light, one of the most important things anyone can learn is how to work within a system. Which is a very important survival skill. If you can't work within a system you've shot yourself in the foot. The trick is and I realize it's not an easy one, is you need to learn to keep your individuality whilst still working within the system. For me and I would say a lot of the teachers I know and work with it's about teaching the children to find that balance. Be true to who you are... just don't be a dick about it. And screeching about how "My unique flower of a child will only be stifled by your oppressive Third Grade class with your tyrannical recess schedule and maths"does nothing to either help your child learn how to exist in the world, or give us as teachers the resources to help them grow.
And here's an astounding fact that so many seem to just not understand. Most if not all teachers I've met really want to help kids. Why the hell else would we get into a field where we're both poorly paid and treated like you're some sort of demon?
Teachers are being held entirely culpable for the actions and choices of their students with no wiggle room. And with the constant testing and hammering with "testable" skills the job itself is not what it was even ten to fifteen years ago. Everybody is looking for easy answers to the learning problem.
And they're aren't any. You can't teach a whole bunch of unique individuals using the same methods.
However uniformity of instruction is a simple fact of the lack of resources. Schools can't make the changes that would ACTUALLY help kids become educated. Across the board they don't have the resources. Because as a culture we don't care about our kids educations. Though we care a great deal about appearing like we do. So we can have all the frosting on our cake but nothing of substance.
Conformity isn't something horrible. It's not the death knell for all peoples. Being a part of a community requires a certain amount of conforming to their standards. You have to work within the confines of the system presented.
That's not the death of creativity and free will. It's what it takes for a safe and happy community. And the real trick, is to find a group where conforming isn't problematic. Cause everyone is going to conform. Or to phrase it another way, we have to compromise in order to not be an asshole. Cause the guy coloring penises on the walls in crayon at the restaurant is "just being a free spirit". And we need to teach our children an idea best phrased by a conman upon being told that a game was crooked, "Yeah, but it's the only game in town!"
Maybe we need to change the game. But at the end of the day, that's just agreeing on new rules for the players to conform to. You gotta keep playing. Otherwise you'll just be one of those assholes drawing penises on the wall and screaming about be "stiffled".
And I think the world already has enough dicks.
Or to put it in a better light, one of the most important things anyone can learn is how to work within a system. Which is a very important survival skill. If you can't work within a system you've shot yourself in the foot. The trick is and I realize it's not an easy one, is you need to learn to keep your individuality whilst still working within the system. For me and I would say a lot of the teachers I know and work with it's about teaching the children to find that balance. Be true to who you are... just don't be a dick about it. And screeching about how "My unique flower of a child will only be stifled by your oppressive Third Grade class with your tyrannical recess schedule and maths"does nothing to either help your child learn how to exist in the world, or give us as teachers the resources to help them grow.
And here's an astounding fact that so many seem to just not understand. Most if not all teachers I've met really want to help kids. Why the hell else would we get into a field where we're both poorly paid and treated like you're some sort of demon?
Teachers are being held entirely culpable for the actions and choices of their students with no wiggle room. And with the constant testing and hammering with "testable" skills the job itself is not what it was even ten to fifteen years ago. Everybody is looking for easy answers to the learning problem.
And they're aren't any. You can't teach a whole bunch of unique individuals using the same methods.
However uniformity of instruction is a simple fact of the lack of resources. Schools can't make the changes that would ACTUALLY help kids become educated. Across the board they don't have the resources. Because as a culture we don't care about our kids educations. Though we care a great deal about appearing like we do. So we can have all the frosting on our cake but nothing of substance.
Conformity isn't something horrible. It's not the death knell for all peoples. Being a part of a community requires a certain amount of conforming to their standards. You have to work within the confines of the system presented.
That's not the death of creativity and free will. It's what it takes for a safe and happy community. And the real trick, is to find a group where conforming isn't problematic. Cause everyone is going to conform. Or to phrase it another way, we have to compromise in order to not be an asshole. Cause the guy coloring penises on the walls in crayon at the restaurant is "just being a free spirit". And we need to teach our children an idea best phrased by a conman upon being told that a game was crooked, "Yeah, but it's the only game in town!"
Maybe we need to change the game. But at the end of the day, that's just agreeing on new rules for the players to conform to. You gotta keep playing. Otherwise you'll just be one of those assholes drawing penises on the wall and screaming about be "stiffled".
And I think the world already has enough dicks.
Well said man.
ReplyDelete