MadTeach

MadTeach got its name because I used to teach in Madison, WI, and that used to make me pretty mad...now I teach in a large city... totally different scene... but I'm keeping the name. :-)

Disclaimer: Links to other websites DO NOT imply support for all content or opinions on these sites!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

OTOH

Just finished my lesson plans. And I gotta tell you... today when I was calling M's mother in the hallway, the students were at first acting up and I stepped back into the room to scream at them... then back out to finish the call.

When I came back in, a bunch of them had gotten out the brooms and were sweeping the room... very intently and carefully... I can still see their intense little faces.

Is that not the sweetest thing you ever heard? Even if they were just trying to get out of doing math, or hoping I would cancel out one of their 'silent lunches,' that is so sweet.

At the time I was so flustered from the M incident that I just said, "I appreciate the sentiment but this is math time, not cleanup time! Put the brooms away and get out your math!" But tomorrow I will thank them.

posted by birdfarm @ 12:17 AM

0 Comments:

(the ten posts prior to this one)

RETURN TO CURRENT POSTS

The Scariest Thing You'll Ever Read
"From the Land of Frankenstein"

John Taylor Gatto explains the origins of the US school system:

"The Prussian mind...held a clear idea of what centralized schooling should deliver: 1) Obedient soldiers to the army; 2) Obedient workers for mines, factories, and farms; 3) Well-subordinated civil servants, trained in their function; 4) Well-subordinated clerks for industry; 5) Citizens who thought alike on most issues; 6) National uniformity in thought, word, and deed.

"The area of individual volition for commoners was severely foreclosed by Prussian psychological training procedures drawn from the experience of animal husbandry and equestrian training, and also taken from past military experience.

"Prussian schools delivered everything they promised. Every important matter could now be confidently worked out in advance by leading families and institutional heads because well-schooled masses would concur with a minimum of opposition."

--John Taylor Gatto
"The Underground History of American Education"
Chapter Seven

So that's why our school system is the way it is... why we are the way we are.

Now that you know...act to RESIST and TRANSFORM this system that keeps us gullible, obedient, and ignorant.

¡Si se puede!

I'm a new teacher (social studies 6-12), committed to anti-racist, multicultural, and fully inclusive education; also a traveller, materialist historian, political activist, former grad student, and occasional gardener.

Visit my profile page for more info...

Note: these links will open in a new window. To return to MadTeach, close the new window.

Rethinking Schools
Teaching Tolerance
National Association for Multicultural Education
Teaching for Change
Teachers' Union Reform Network
Coalition of Essential Schools
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network)
United for a Fair Economy (includes teaching resources)
Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative - support local stores instead of chains!

Blog contents copyright © 2005 anonymous author; forward & share all you like but please do not plagiarize.

The first amendment protects your right to speak in public space, but not in my space. Comments that are insulting, or just too ignorant to bother with, may be removed ("insulting" and "ignorant" will of course be defined at my sole discretion!)

I may spout off at times, but all opinions (on education at least) are guaranteed to be based on careful research. If you want to see my sources, feel free to ask by posting a comment on any post. I receive email notification when comments are posted and will respond as appropriate.