John Taylor Gatto - Seven Lesson Schoolteacher
KentDB741
location: Buffalo, New York USA
listening to: The sweet music of YES
registered: 2001.11.12
posts: 1355
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Greetings:The following is an extremely edited version of a twenty-page
essay by John Taylor Gatto --- from his book DUMBING US
DOWN (1992). The name of this essay is THE SEVEN-LESSON
SCHOOLTEACHER --- it should give you an idea of how this
former NYC and NYS teacher of the year thinks:THE SEVEN-LESSON SCHOOLTEACHER (pgs. 1 to 19)01) The first lesson I teach is CONFUSIONEven in the best schools a close examination of curriculum and
its' sequences turns up a lack of coherence, a host of internal
contradictions. Fortunately the children have no words to
define the panic and anger they feel at constant violations of
order and sequence fobbed off on them as quality in
education. The logic of the school mind is that it is better to
leave school with a tool kit of superficial jargon derived from
economics, sociology, natural science and so on than one with
genuine enthusiasm. But quality education requires learning
something in depth. Confusion is thrust upon kids by too
many strange adults, each working alone with only the thinnist
relationship with each other, pretending for the most part, to
an expertise they do not possess.02) The second lesson I teach is CLASS POSITIONIn spite of the overall class blueprint that assumes that ninety-
nine percent of the kids are in their class to stay, I
nevertheless make a public effort to exort children to higher
levels of test success, hinting at eventual transfer from the
lower class as a reward. I frequently insinuate the day will
come when they will be hired based upon their test scores and
grades, even though experience tells me that employers are
indifferent to such things.03) The third lesson I teach is INDIFFERENCEI teach children not to care too much about anything, even
though they want to make it appear as if they do. How I do
this is very subtle. I do it by demanding that they become
totally involved in my lessons --- when I am at my best I plan
lessons very carefully so they produce this show of
enthusiasm. But when the bell rings they must drop whatever
they are doing and move to the next workstation. They must
turn it on and off like a light switch. Nothing important is ever
finished in my class nor in any class I know of. Students never
have a complete experience except on the installment plan.04) The fourth lesson I teach is EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCYBy stars and red checks, smiles and frowns, prizes, honors,
and disgraces, I teach kids to surrender their will to the
predestined chain of command. Rights may be granted or
withheld by any authority without appeal, because rights do
not exist inside a school --- not even the right of free speech
--- as the Supreme Court has ruled --- unless school
authorities say they do. 05) The fifth lesson I teach is INTELLECTUAL DEPENDENCYGood students wait for a teacher to tell them what to do. This
is the most important lesson of all --- we must wait for other
people, better trained than ourselves, to make meanings out
of our lives. The expert makes all the important choices . . .06) The sixth lesson I teach is PROVISIONAL SELF ESTEEMOur world wouldn't survive a flood of confident people very
long, so I teach that a kid's self respect should depend on
expert opinion. They are constantly judged and evaluated.07) The seventh lesson I teach is that ONE CANNOT HIDEI assign a type of extended schooling called "homework," so
the effect of surveillance, if not the surveillance itself, travels
into private households, where students might otherwise use
their free time to LEARN SOMETHING UNAUTHORIZED . . . Well . . . I would say that you Mom's and Dad's out there reading this
right now, if you love your children PLEASE GO CHECK OUT
JOHN TAYLOR GATTO.http://www.johntaylorgatto.comDUMBING US DOWN (pgs. 1 to 19)
by John Taylor Gatto
ISBN 0-86571-448-7Educate Yourself --- Learn The TRUE HISTORY OF AMERICA!Peace and Prayers,
Kent Daniel Bentkowski
Buffalo, New York USA
K
KentDB741
(view)
Greetings:The following is an extremely edited version of a twenty-page
essay by John Taylor Gatto --- from his book DUMBING US
DOWN (1992). The name of this essay is THE SEVEN-LESSON
SCHOOLTEACHER --- it should give you an idea of how this
former NYC and NYS teacher of the year thinks:THE SEVEN-LESSON SCHOOLTEACHER (pgs. 1 to 19)01) The first lesson I teach is CONFUSIONEven in the best schools a close examination of curriculum and
its' sequences turns up a lack of coherence, a host of internal
contradictions. Fortunately the children have no words to
define the panic and anger they feel at constant violations of
order and sequence fobbed off on them as quality in
education. The logic of the school mind is that it is better to
leave school with a tool kit of superficial jargon derived from
economics, sociology, natural science and so on than one with
genuine enthusiasm. But quality education requires learning
something in depth. Confusion is thrust upon kids by too
many strange adults, each working alone with only the thinnist
relationship with each other, pretending for the most part, to
an expertise they do not possess.02) The second lesson I teach is CLASS POSITIONIn spite of the overall class blueprint that assumes that ninety-
nine percent of the kids are in their class to stay, I
nevertheless make a public effort to exort children to higher
levels of test success, hinting at eventual transfer from the
lower class as a reward. I frequently insinuate the day will
come when they will be hired based upon their test scores and
grades, even though experience tells me that employers are
indifferent to such things.03) The third lesson I teach is INDIFFERENCEI teach children not to care too much about anything, even
though they want to make it appear as if they do. How I do
this is very subtle. I do it by demanding that they become
totally involved in my lessons --- when I am at my best I plan
lessons very carefully so they produce this show of
enthusiasm. But when the bell rings they must drop whatever
they are doing and move to the next workstation. They must
turn it on and off like a light switch. Nothing important is ever
finished in my class nor in any class I know of. Students never
have a complete experience except on the installment plan.04) The fourth lesson I teach is EMOTIONAL DEPENDENCYBy stars and red checks, smiles and frowns, prizes, honors,
and disgraces, I teach kids to surrender their will to the
predestined chain of command. Rights may be granted or
withheld by any authority without appeal, because rights do
not exist inside a school --- not even the right of free speech
--- as the Supreme Court has ruled --- unless school
authorities say they do. 05) The fifth lesson I teach is INTELLECTUAL DEPENDENCYGood students wait for a teacher to tell them what to do. This
is the most important lesson of all --- we must wait for other
people, better trained than ourselves, to make meanings out
of our lives. The expert makes all the important choices . . .06) The sixth lesson I teach is PROVISIONAL SELF ESTEEMOur world wouldn't survive a flood of confident people very
long, so I teach that a kid's self respect should depend on
expert opinion. They are constantly judged and evaluated.07) The seventh lesson I teach is that ONE CANNOT HIDEI assign a type of extended schooling called "homework," so
the effect of surveillance, if not the surveillance itself, travels
into private households, where students might otherwise use
their free time to LEARN SOMETHING UNAUTHORIZED . . . Well . . . I would say that you Mom's and Dad's out there reading this
right now, if you love your children PLEASE GO CHECK OUT
JOHN TAYLOR GATTO.http://www.johntaylorgatto.comDUMBING US DOWN (pgs. 1 to 19)
by John Taylor Gatto
ISBN 0-86571-448-7Educate Yourself --- Learn The TRUE HISTORY OF AMERICA!Peace and Prayers,
Kent Daniel Bentkowski
Buffalo, New York USA
