They’re right.
Caps brought it up. The issue of the effects of the reactionary madness that is already starting to clamp down on creativity. No, I don’t work with severely hateful students, but seeing how the process works, I can easily see how it gets there. Goes something like this:
(kid, who enjoys video games, draws a gun in his journal)
teacher: s**t, i better cover my ass. (calls admin)
admin: s**t, we better cover our asses (calls school idiot school psychiatrist/behavior specialist (isp/bs))
isp/bs:So, kid, the world really sucks huh? Youre angry huh? (cue 10 cent psychiatry leading questions/self-fulfilling prophecy)
kid: whoah, they sent me here, i must be f***d up. and i get outta class. acting craze is good.
other kids: whoah, kid got sent to the shrink, hes a weirdo, you see that gun he drew? my mom heard from that other teacher that he’s crazy
kid: wtf? no one wants to kick it with me. f**k this s**t. (kid realizes therapy, talking about your struggles loses your friends and is less likely to outwardly express anything)
No, obviously, every kid sent to a behavioral support specialist isnt gonna turn murderous and destroy lives. But crazy damage has been done to her/him, mainly cause a lot of teachers, instead of thinking critically and compassionately, look out for themselves first. So called accountability on a shitload of ridiculous levels (NCLB, whattup) leads to a weirdly accusatory situation in schools and everyone is on guard. too under attack to perform the other duties of a teacher.
Also, NCLB related. I rarely hear people here talk about the psychological impact of high stakes testing and the current focus on reading and math. Without music, art, p.e., whatever, kids are severely limited in their chances of success. How the fuck youre ego gonna deal with that failure (rarely the students fault), then, how the hell you gonna grow up to be a compassionate, caring (nonviolent) adult when you have no notion of self-worth?
note: i initially wrote an amazingly well thought out treatise. poised and considerate. then the windows 98 dinosaur at school crapped out.
I dunno y’all, go love someone.
