What is Normal? "Questioning Customs" By Khan
What is Normal? "Questioning Customs" By Khan
One quote from the clip of "Class Dismissed" was "you're going to school to take your place." And by “place,” the narrator meant society. I remember when I was in eighth grade, the very first thing we talked about in Mrs. McConnell’s English class was about being an individual in society, and little did I know that would be an imperative topic for that whole year. That whole year I was persecuted by peers and teachers for being different. Teachers, especially my math teacher, told me, even when I was vigorously taking notes, came up to my desk and said “you need to put more effort into things, all you do is just sit there.” I was hoping she’d come to my desk to tell me I was doing a good job. But no.
This would be an example of Horace Mann’s “broken model” of the education system, as outlined by Khan. Mann’s model emphasized social cohesion and the creation of a “common citizen" who is doomed to go right into employment right after school. Nonetheless, the “common citizen” is meant to obey social and societal norms over individual expression and creativity.
But tell me, what is “normal?” Even the Providence Public School System is changing its, almost corrupt, ways in order to fit the contemporary model of education.
Khan equates to eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner – all at a consensual time. In regards to my eighth grade math teacher, this needless incident mirrors the “Broken Model” of education because Mann’s model chooses to focus on visible compliance and standardized performance rather than recognizing individual learning styles or even internal effort. The model and “hidden curriculum” is even in the language of my math teacher, “all you do is just sit there.” It reminds me all through my elementary and middle school career that we were taught by teachers, “it’s my way or the highway!” Put simply, the school system that Horace Mann wanted was for schools to teach students to accept authority and perform their “place” in a hierarchy, even at the expense of a student’s academic performance or well-being. In my case, I was so under pressure that I starved myself thinner and I was diagnosed with depression at fourteen years old. It did not help that I had mono for four months that year. Mind you, this was Medfield, Massachusetts, where if you weren’t a jock, smart, or both you were basically at the bottom of the food chain.
Hello April
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that personal experience with us. Its alarming how we can relate to these situations so easily in all of our lives. I still can't wrap my head around why Horace Mann idea of school would be one that would work.
Hi April, I relate a lot to your personal experience as someone who struggles in the traditional school system as well. I recall getting labeled as “lazy” throughout middle school and into high school, despite putting in the work with no improvement in my grades. No one ever stopped to look past the surface of the situation, so I kept getting dragged along. Overtime I no longer saw effort as an avenue for success, believing instead that I was just incapable of achieving anything more because I wasn't smart enough. It was at this point that I officially gave up and stopped trying. It's unfortunate how quickly a low-performing student can be dismissed as simply not trying, without anyone looking into why.
ReplyDeleteHi! I liked how you started off with the quote about taking your place in society. When the film said this I related it to the 1900's when there were ranks. School is no longer for high ranking individuals and if we change that perspective, school can become a whole different world for students today. My way or the highway needs to be put to rest! children find new ways to do things all of the time! I enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you connected Khan's ideas to your own school experiences. It's unfortunate how often effort gets overlooked in favor of compliance, and your reflection makes that so clear
ReplyDeleteHi April,
ReplyDeleteI definitely relate to your post. I remember feeling completely ostracized by my 2nd grade teacher, solely due to my inability to sit still. I just remember feeling "stupid" because that was how she framed my hyperactivity instead of helping me come up with a solution. Now, I feel so happy seeing all of these new structures in classrooms, all of the chairs that are built for students like this, "calm corners" etc.