What does it mean to fail? We
use that question to open the course.
Now, despite the potential to
start us off on a depressing note, I think it is important that we do so.
To begin with, this course
asks us to think about equity. To my mind, this means confronting failure. It
means exploring why things don’t always go so well. It means confronting, I
think, our own limits as teachers, as well as the limits of children and
parents. It means exploring what is possible, what is reasonable, and what is
to be hoped for.
The last ten years have
taught us, more than ever before, to be scared of failure. We have been taught
to expect punishment, of some sort, to come along with the various euphemisms
we have now invented as codes for failure--AYP, VAM, ACT.
Failure is a natural part of
life. Indeed, one day our bodies will “fail,” and we will pass from this Earth.
To speak of this type of failure should invoke no shame. Only a confrontation
with ourselves. Some of our readings in this first cycle will take, therefore,
what I will call an “existential perspective” on failure--that is, failure as part and parcel of
living, learning and loving.
However, there is another,
darker side to failure--failure as it is produced within and through
institutions. Our readings will also explore this, to varying degrees.
A big part of my research
involves asking people to recount the most significant moments in their
schooling careers. I sometimes get
stories of unadulterated joy and pleasure. More often, I hear stories of
struggle, conflict, and even tragedy. Very few of these stories involve the
actual learnings of the curriculum. Rather, they are about the implicit,
unintended learnings that kids can, if we are not extremely careful, take away
from school--
- “No one likes me.”
- “I’m ugly.”
- “I’m stupid.”
These unintended learnings
are tricky matters. As teachers and parents, we work as hard as we can to
prevent such messages from going through. But, inevitably, I think, some of
them do.
The question then becomes:
What can we do to prevent such messages from entering into our children’s mind?
Because, we know as teachers and parents--damaging labels are hard to undo. My
hope is that the cycle’s readings will help you in this regard as well.
Finally, I want to
acknowledge that there are a whole set of issues about why kids fail that I
leave untouched here. Here are just a few of them: extreme poverty, unequal
resources for schools, physical abuse, mental illness. While I do not want you
to forget about these issues, I do not think they can dominate the
conversation, either. I encourage you to explore the tricky line between the
material and the spiritual throughout this course.
In conclusion, I want to
remind you that, as you construct your post for this cycle, you may reference
any (or all) of the articles or videos listed on our syllabus. But mostly, I
want you to write about your own experiences relating to the guiding questions
for the cycle!! Help us see how you have lived out the question of failure in your
own living, learning and teaching, the complexities and paradoxes you see in
this topic, and ultimately, how you tend to act in the world to resolve them.
So, I wish you enjoyable
learning. Please have your posts up by July 7. Please read over and comment
upon another person’s blog by July 8. In the meantime, if you have any
questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
All the best,
Kyle
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