September 20, 2012
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connections
“The human mind is embedded in the cosmic field, the energy flowing in that field is flowing in the human mind, in the human brain, in the history of the culture and of the language. That culture, that language, that mind, that brain, these minds and these brains are all connected in space and time with everything that ever was, that is now, and that will be.” (Supervision: A Redefinition Sergiovanni, Starratt p. 73)
I was surprised to read this. I am surprised most that a textbook writer would put this philosophy in ink on a page. The second surprise is more personal: I have been exploring the concept of individual’s connections with other individuals more deeply than I have in the past and have been discovering the individual’s connection to the universe, but hadn’t connected the two concepts as Sergiovanni has. This connection changes everything. Sergiovanni’s hypothetical teacher really makes the two necessary points: knowledge must be used to improve people’s lives and we do not have the moral option to choose not to learn.
I have issues with the government regulations on teachers (what teacher doesn’t?) mostly because the government has that bureaucratic supervisor viewpoint that teachers will only teach as effectively as they are forced to. I disagree with this attitude. Many of the teachers I know are teachers because they want to improve people’s lives. I’m sure of this, even though it’s never been stated. I can observe how they interact with students to identify their motivation. What would happen if the government accepted this philosophy? Got its grubby mitts out of education all together. Let education professionals do what they do best and know best.
Furthermore, what would happen if the government stopped mandated standardized testing? This is a huge question to me. Standardized testing improves the lives of very few people. Certainly not students and teachers and parents. What if the time wasted on test preparation and test taking was spent learning about the universe? Standardized testing has the similar assumption that students won’t learn unless they are forced to. Anyone who has worked with 1st graders (as I do) can assure the government that you cannot force a 6 year old to learn anything they aren’t motivated to learn and you cannot stop a 6 year old from exploring something they want to learn about. Who can say that a 10 year might not be exactly the same way? Or a 16 year old? Or a college student?
And really, I could easily walk this little piece about knowledge and moral options over the political arena. Because don’t professional politicians have a moral obligation to do what’s right? To improve people’s lives? I just don’t see how their agenda is for the betterment of anyone beyond themselves. I could be wrong about that. I have not fulfilled my moral option to learn about economics and government and so on. I don’t trust our government and I used to. I think my little rose-colored glasses used to include presidents and governors and judges. Not anymore. And that’s a sad situation to me.
I know I probably sound like an idealistic 12 year old. I’m all grown up. I’d just rather believe the best of people than the worst. And that’s that.
Here’s my booty drawer from the High School Homecoming Parade. My LLO is the best.
Comments (31)
Hmmm I think I shall be visiting that booty drawer later on. Good stuff in there.
yeah I don’t get why the government has to regulate schools. I makes little sense to me and I still think the past two presidents had awful education agendas and they have done nothing but prompt schools to teach to the tests.
Oh, how I could go on and on and on! But I won’t. I’ll just say that I agree with you wholeheartedly.
My daughters homecoming is next Friday. I’m buying her a dress for the dance tomorrow. Shopping time again!
And if there’s any Smarties left, may I have one please?
@Grannys_Place - get in there while you can. won’t be good stuff very long.
@armnatmom - i promised to make a dress for the dance tomorrow. football game tonight plus a school sleepover. i’m a little bit doomed. thank goodness we’ve negotiated from her design to something i can probably do.
@godfatherofgreenbay - first thing our crappy new governor did was slice and dice educational funding. presidential educational agendas make it very clear that people are pawns and just what kind of future they are looking towards.
@HappierHeathen - i appreciate that. um. the agreeing part, not the not going on and on. you could go on a smidge.
I could go on for ages about all of the problems that I have with the public education system. And I understand that a lot of the things i find troubling are probably just the way it has to be when one person has so many kids to be responsible for….. but I home schooled my kids for a year, “school” took about two hours a day for the both of them, and they went back to public school well ahed of where they were expected to be in every subject. What I always wonder about public school — is what, exactly, this system is training the kids for.
This one size fits all curriculum, standardized testing, this whole idea that everyone learns the same or *should* learn the same….. doesn’t seem to be directed at happiness. Or curiosity. Or joy. That said, my kids have been fortunate to each have two amazing teachers, and I appreciate these women and their approach to a classroom full of children more than I can even express.
I was a habitual truant, always running away from school.
I rocked the standardized testing when I was a kid, and it had nothing to do with my teacher. It had to do with my brother, who was interesting to learn from
standardized testing tests more than content knowledge. some kids are good test takers, some are not. and like you said, they don’t test what kids learned at school anyhow. plenty of times the test is more an indicator of who gets a healthy breakfast at home. the system is flawed for the purpose for which it is used.
one size fits all curriculum is just wrong. we are not cookie cutter people. my kids are in a great school district. thank goodness. they have many opportunities and non-cookie cutter models are accepted. (which is good because my babies are interesting specimens.)
the school system is training kids to stand in line and sit still at a desk. i’m just glad (like i said already) that there’s learning and exploring here too.
thanks for your comment.
like your happy heathen, i could go on and on, too. i love what you’re saying here, and the comments, too. (i, too, am amazed you found that quote in a textbook. it gives me hope.) if nothing else, when the revolution comes, and if we survive it, please let us remember that once we build a monolith (educational, or otherkind) it is very hard to tear it back down, or very hard to move it in new direction. lastly, very glad i am that you folks are in ‘good’ school district. yes.
What of school because centers of learning, offering ideas for children to explore without the mandatory testing to see if competencies have been reached? More of a Montessori way of learning for all children.
Please share more on your explorations of connections between people and the universe.
I swear you just spoke everything my husband says all the time! (He’s a teacher, too – but not as crafty as you are)
@BoulderChristina - i remember that corey is a teacher. high school. probably far worse there.
@songoftheheart - i think there’s a tendency in montessori for kids to explore only their current interests and what they are good at. sometimes kids should do things that are outside of their comfort zone. (all people)
@Bels_Kaylar - it is hard to change. but it is possible. i think there is hope. always.
my father made it clear that he chose where we lived when i was a kid because of the school district. i knew for sure we had to get out of where spawn was born. (i’d subbed in enough schools in that area to know the score)
The nature of government is tyranny. That’s why it must be constitutionally limited, its powers separated and its people sovereign.
Citing good sense ideas to a tyrant won’t do any good. The Congress must defund and destroy the Education Department and repeal nasty, intrusive laws like No Child Left Behind.
Between funding and politicians, it’s a wonder schools are in session. Teachers have been under paid and over worked for years. And all the restrictions teachers have to deal with. On a happier note: Smarties and Bottle Caps and Sweet Tarts… All I have right now is Candy Corn…
@Zoz36 - candy corn isn’t candy, it’s a science experiment. like spam. there are more requirements every year.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - i think government should be leadership. which is not necessarily tyranny. (in fact, more effectively NOT tyranny). if a benevolent leadership is possible on a small scale, it is possible on a large scale.
@promisesunshine - I don’t do my shopping for Halloween Candy until Halloween is over. And I Like fried Spam…
@Zoz36 - you just gave me the best idea! i could save my booty drawer and collect from the college homecoming parade next week and then i won’t need to buy halloween candy to give out.
except that i can’t possibly do that.
(your taste is no longer in consideration. candy corn and spam. )
@promisesunshine - Well, it’s been years since I’ve had Spam. And Candy Corn… Just found out Dollar Tree sells Mary Janes.
@Zoz36 - here, have a sweet tart. it’s good for you.
@promisesunshine - Everything has a fixed nature. Government is tyranny. That’s what it is. That’s why it’s powers must be separated and innumerated.
Here’s what George Washington, Founding Father had to say about the nature of government:
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
@promisesunshine - I ran out of Whoppers, Bottle Caps, and Bit O Honey. Candy Corn is a LAST resort candy… Had some Runts somewhere…
Thanks for the Sweet Tart!
@PrisonerxOfxLove - i have a computer. it is disputed whether g.w. actually said this and the final part of it bears repeating anyhow
Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.
i believe that changes the meaning substantially. and i think we agree that an uncontrolled wildfire is a different thing entirely than a pleasant fire in a fireplace on a cold evening. do we then call all fire destructive? perhaps uncontrolled government is tyranny. but this is not a fixed nature.
@promisesunshine - Nevertheless, the quote embodies what the Founding Fathers understood about the nature of government.
Real politics is local with private organizations that do charity and build communities.
The purpose of government is to insure the rights of all citizens. Therefore government must be strong (but not too strong) in that one area only.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - tyranny= Cruel and oppressive government or rule. you said all government is tyranny. and that is immutable. now you’re saying the purpose of government is to insure the rights of citizens. a cruel and oppressive government cannot possibly insure the rights of all citizens.
also. the quote (if it is indeed george’s words) embodies what george believed- not necessarily what all the founding fathers believed. further, i interpret the statement to mean that government is powerful (full of power) and must be held in check to avoid excesses. (excesses like, you know, tyranny)
@promisesunshine - Tyranny is defined as the executive, legislative and judiciary branches in the hands of one person, group of people, a government agency or an institution.
If the powers of government are separated there is little chance of prolonged abuse for the sovereign people will just get rid of individuals who attempt abuse.
We are experiencing prolonged government tyranny now because the Progressives, starting with President Wilson have broken down the separation of powers and have sold their scheming as charity to an unwitting public.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - golly!! in tyranny there are no branches. tyranny is DEFINED (from a dictionary, which is what defined means) asA government in which a single ruler is vested with absolute power. you may have a point that our current government is functioning as a tyranny. but i don’t think so on that either. i think the different factions of congress have kept that from happening.
did i read somewhere that you’re going to law school? how’s it?
@promisesunshine - the legislative, executive and judicial powers are THE powers of government.
A tyrant makes the laws, executes them and then places himself as judge over everyone.
The people have no recourse. If they challenge the laws, they are judged by the same person who instituted them.
If a person is apprehended by the police (an arm of the executive branch), for breaking a law instituted by the very same executive power, he will then be judged by the same interests that employ the police.
That’s tyranny. The Founding Fathers broke it down so anyone could understand it if they tried.
@PrisonerxOfxLove - excuse me. i’m going to go knit a tea cozy.
@promisesunshine - Divided government means splitting up its power to execute, legislate and judge.
When government is divided properly, the powers of government are split completely and do not overlap.
The Founders set up American government so that each branch would jealously defend its power.
Unfortunately the Progressives want a tyrannical executive branch with the other branches serving as rubber stamps. That’s what happened during the time of FDR.
And we saw that happen as the Congress and the Roberts Court rubber stamped ObamaCare.
Brilliant post Carrie. The standardized testing is such a stressful part of the high school student. So many kids are so gifted, but do not take tests and exams well. Low marks in these tests can break a student’s ambition to go to a better school or get into a program of science or medicine or what have you.
And that’s why I think the child should be allowed to explore and improve his general knowledge with a Montessori type of education. Telling the educational facilities to see that “no child is left behind” is such a backward step. I know I am just rambling here, but, your post just brought so many thoughts to mind.
@ZSA_MD - no child left behind is a nightmare. kids are different. and this is a good thing. to have the expectation that they will all achieve the same serves no one. my youngest daughter scored poorly (i guess i mean basic or average) on the writing test last year. i didn’t say anything to her, nor will i. because she is a wonderful writer.
anyway. thanks.