Diversity is a great thing. It makes society what it is and it also makes schools what they are. Ever since I was at school myself and all through my career as a teacher, there seemed to be this aim to work towards.
It was to produce the standard student - the reference child - The model
We often hear ourselves saying
"We/I don't expect behaviour like that in our school/my classroom"
"I don't see why you should be treated any differently from the others"
"When all the other children can manage to do ...."
and on it goes
I heard a quote today
"We try so hard to make them fit in when they were made to stand out"
And while they are trying to stand out, we are holding them down and coaching them into fitting in
I like to think of all those young people who I made judgements on about their behaviour, attitudes, speech, work ethic, expectations and wonder how they managed without taking my advice. The answer is, very well thank you. They really do turn out ok with or without conforming to the rigours we place into their lives. They really don't need this model of rightness because many of them fail to live up to it on a daily basis. that can't be good for self esteem or personal development.
Just recently, there has been a move towards allowing teenagers to start school later. Schools participating in this scheme have seen better attendance and results, and this is not just in this country but around the world. One student from Scandinavia said that he had been excluded for lateness and no-attendance, but that he found getting up not only extremely difficult, but also depressing.
I can already hear the calls of indignation for the uniformists who will say that they will have to get up early when they start work. Maybe they''ll do a flexi-time job or one with a late start. Or maybe by the time they start employment, their bio-rhythm will have adjusted sufficiently to allow them to get up earlier.
The point is, we are all assuming that a certain type of person needs to be produced in order that they can be successful LIKE US!
Perhaps they don't want to be like us. Perhaps they want to be entrepreneurs, artists, dancers, adventurers and many other non-uniform activities. Sir Ken Robinson talks about the pinnacle of success in all westernised education systems being a university professor. It's the top job from a teacher's point of view.
Exams, revision, more exams, university, more exams, theses, more exams and perhaps the end result. But most folk don't want that academic pinnacle. They want to be themselves and enjoy life. Enjoy life? Pfff - you'll need to get into the real world and start work. Teachers went to school, did more school, more exams and then went back to school. Some of them have never really been in the real world - this is in no way meant to be offensive, but it's a reflection I have on my own career.
Many of the disruptive students in schools today are not just the low performers, but many are the gifted and talented who are thinking faster than the education we are providing. Sending them in directions and through hoops they see no relevance in and entering them for exams "Because you'll need these to get a good job", whatever one of those is. Often we get tied up with examination requirements and rituals that we sometimes forget there are individuals who may not share the passion you have for your subject, and really aren't prepared to put in the work you think they should and again they are viewed as failures.
I think there are many children who go to school to watch their teachers work, because they just don't see the point.
First published 28 March 2009
It was to produce the standard student - the reference child - The model
We often hear ourselves saying
"We/I don't expect behaviour like that in our school/my classroom"
"I don't see why you should be treated any differently from the others"
"When all the other children can manage to do ...."
and on it goes
I heard a quote today
"We try so hard to make them fit in when they were made to stand out"
And while they are trying to stand out, we are holding them down and coaching them into fitting in
I like to think of all those young people who I made judgements on about their behaviour, attitudes, speech, work ethic, expectations and wonder how they managed without taking my advice. The answer is, very well thank you. They really do turn out ok with or without conforming to the rigours we place into their lives. They really don't need this model of rightness because many of them fail to live up to it on a daily basis. that can't be good for self esteem or personal development.
Just recently, there has been a move towards allowing teenagers to start school later. Schools participating in this scheme have seen better attendance and results, and this is not just in this country but around the world. One student from Scandinavia said that he had been excluded for lateness and no-attendance, but that he found getting up not only extremely difficult, but also depressing.
I can already hear the calls of indignation for the uniformists who will say that they will have to get up early when they start work. Maybe they''ll do a flexi-time job or one with a late start. Or maybe by the time they start employment, their bio-rhythm will have adjusted sufficiently to allow them to get up earlier.
The point is, we are all assuming that a certain type of person needs to be produced in order that they can be successful LIKE US!
Perhaps they don't want to be like us. Perhaps they want to be entrepreneurs, artists, dancers, adventurers and many other non-uniform activities. Sir Ken Robinson talks about the pinnacle of success in all westernised education systems being a university professor. It's the top job from a teacher's point of view.
Exams, revision, more exams, university, more exams, theses, more exams and perhaps the end result. But most folk don't want that academic pinnacle. They want to be themselves and enjoy life. Enjoy life? Pfff - you'll need to get into the real world and start work. Teachers went to school, did more school, more exams and then went back to school. Some of them have never really been in the real world - this is in no way meant to be offensive, but it's a reflection I have on my own career.
Many of the disruptive students in schools today are not just the low performers, but many are the gifted and talented who are thinking faster than the education we are providing. Sending them in directions and through hoops they see no relevance in and entering them for exams "Because you'll need these to get a good job", whatever one of those is. Often we get tied up with examination requirements and rituals that we sometimes forget there are individuals who may not share the passion you have for your subject, and really aren't prepared to put in the work you think they should and again they are viewed as failures.
I think there are many children who go to school to watch their teachers work, because they just don't see the point.
First published 28 March 2009