Learning is extremely fun. The moment that revelation hits you is a worthy indulgence. Discovery is a welcome rest following a long pursuit of investigation. Marveling at our own creations of our best work are satisfying delights. All of these moments, if they ever happened in school, were accompanied by abrasive structure, narrow definitions of success and intelligence, boring content, emasculating discipline, fear of mistakes, and a package of other detriments delivered by usually well meaning educators. Thinking back to my school days brings forth mixed feelings. I did experience some of the brighter moments of learning, but the first things that come to mind when I think about school are the things I loathed. The older I get, the more justified I feel in my disgust and hatred toward public school and even long hours of classroom structure in private schools. I imagine that even many of the social problems among students in schools result from the constraints inherent in the school settings. Just ask people about their experience in middle school and they’ll tell you stories.
This first video is a TED talk discussing how school kills creativity. It was absolutely liberating to watch (and entertaining). I think the the speaker, Ken Robinson is right in that a revolution is happening. Perhaps it will become a full scale revolt. One of his main points was that certain subjects are elevated and given more respect than the more “creative” subjects which stifles learning and is downright prejudice in my opinion. I also read another liberating article specifically aimed at teenage boys on a home schooling website. (Do not be detoured by the admittedly creepy looking father-son image in the header of this website). My favorite part of this article was the conclusions NASA came to regarding research about what types of men were the best leaders and best candidates for space missions.
Never once while in public school was there ever a corporate “self reflective” lesson that looked at the school itself, the institution in which its housed, or the structure in which its housed. Businesses will hire consultants to review their processes and recommend changes to make a better business. They interview employees and talk about what works and what doesn’t. This never happens in public school (rarely any government institution for that matter). You’re never going to learn about the shortcomings of public school IN SCHOOL. We take for granted so much of what we “learn” in school and there are plenty of subject matters that have more than one or two perspectives. These “other perspectives” are often left out on countless subject matter and our education is troublesomely incomplete.
I never set foot in a public school. I even went to college at a private school. Reflecting back on my schooling I honestly find the institution of school a sterilizing, soulless place that tends to crush individuality. I think often times institutions like school tend to force us into mental states of being well.. for lack of better terminology less than sane. I can’t tell you how liberating it is not to go to school. That doesn’t mean I don’t learn. I could lose myself for hours in a book and I can write in the margins and I can write in the privacy of my bedroom my own insights about the structure of our society, God, existence and my mind continues to expand but when I look back at school.. it really does kinda sadden me and honestly I do feel my heart get a little heavy when I drive by kids waiting for the school bus because I know so many of them are likely wasting away in school and I empathize because I was there once. I was that kid walking back home with his back pack with a thousand mile stare that I was way too young to be wearing. Just my two cents.
Peace
hey chevas nice post. i wonder, though, how open i even was to the kind of learning you talk about when i was in school. i think i cared almost singularly about getting good grades and time with friends. i think i remember a time or two a teacher tried to do something outside of the box but that most of the students just tuned him or her out when they realized the activity wouldn’t be graded. i am fortunate in that i teach english to students who generally really want and need to learn it and aren’t so motivated by grades, but i imagine that this kind of response from students has killed more than one teacher’s desire to make more of their class time. i don’t think this can be totally accounted for by the institute’s conditioning of the student, although that is definitely a factor.
and now my one hand is too tired to type anymore, or i would make this response much longer!
Nice to find your blog, Chevas. I heard Ken Robinson on the radio a couple years ago and subsequently read his book Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. You are welcome to borrow my copy if you’d like to. I love what he has to say–goes hand in hand with classical education/homeschooling.