Kafka's Web: Policing is not Educating...

Educating does not mean Policing...

I am always thankful that I at long last retired from the classroom teaching...
All through my teaching career in higher education, in middle education or in lower education I was not left alone to teach the way I wanted to teach...

The admin persistently, incessantly, tirelessly demanded conformism... both from teachers and of course, from students... The students must and should learn how to conform to the norms of society, they insisted...The corollary of this demand is that we have to suppress the spontaneity and creativity of students and make they abide by the official dogma and societal norms... In the teacher workroom (preparation room - math office or whatever...) I always complained that the bureaucratic expectation have surpassed those of the Soviet Union...That Stalin would have been very happy witnessing how far Canada and U.S. have ossified the bureaucratic rule... The bureaucratic expectation were grating every single cell in my body...I always wanted to rebel...I vented my frustration in the classroom at times, but then those students you had a grudge against me run to the admin and ratted...
Over and over I was in trouble and but that is a price that I was willing to pay... There was this incident... A bright young lady had overstretched herself...She was in every committee that you may imagine...and because of that her marks were average... I told her to be more selective...She went to her parents and complained about my suggestion....The parents informed the vice-principal....The VP contacted me...In her office we chatted....After all,by that time they new where I was coming from...The parents visited me too...They told me they want their daughter to have an all rounded experience and it is not up to me to give her directions..."You just teach your math...", they emphasized... After that incident, I did not even teach the math to her...I let her be...and have her all rounded experience...They did not need me and I did not need the headache... When I was retiring she visited me and told; "I will miss you...You are a good teacher...But we had our differences..." I love Kafka, I admire George Orwell...Both hated the bureaucracy...I hate it too...

The teachers always insisted that they know it all...They refused any suggestions coming from others about their teaching style or a friendly observation...The moment I made a suggestion...one of the teachers began..."Why you are crucifying me...?" Of course they are good people, but they lach the vision for the future...At least most of them....

Double talk...|War is peace...Freedom is slavery...

Students are just after their marks....Knowledge does not even enter into the equation... They are at school to have good time...and good marks...Of course they are good kids...I loved them...But they lacked the enthusiasm to research and experiment and find out for themselves.... In my blog post for yesterday, I wrote about Abhishek...He wrote about himself...I posted it...He amended the post...We had fun...I am sure you, the reader, appreciated our fun...But he is in a very small minority...of enthusiasts who are after knowledge and learning...Of course marks will follow their excellent effort... Pursuing just marks is counter productive and anti-educational....

Look at the classrooms below...

Wonderful and imaginative design...You may change the setting according to the need of the day...The four walls are eliminated and no one will be claustrophobic...

Indeed it is visionary...

WHAT’S THE CONCEPT?

An elementary school featuring green energy, movable walls and an open floor plan that incorporates science and math theories into the very foundation of the building

WHY IS IT COOL?

It bucks the traditional model of closed-door classrooms and operates on the theory that the whole school is a learning lab.

When the setting is visionary...It will help the kids to be more open...When the kids are more open, they will challenge their teachers...The teachers will be on their toes and provide answers...

An Example....

Every morning I had the opportunity to listen to stimulating discussions on CBC radio....While driving for an hour, I listened to economic and social and political news and analysis...When an item interested me...I noted that down in my mind and discussed it in my MATH class...to open up critical thinking...After all, I firmly believe that most of my students will not need the higher math, but will benefit from critical thinking...Some will be engineers, granted....Some will be accountants, understood, but most will pursue occupations with minimal math and much, too much critical thinking...As a teacher, as a math teacher, it is my duty to open the kids up to reasoning and logical deductions...and opening them up to critical inferences...
Most will forget the math...Most will not even need the math...But ALL will need critical thinking...
And,
Critical thinking abhors conformism...
When I read yesterday's post...before posting it on the blog... Abhishek was admitting that he "does not believe in God"... I was happy and surprised .... He was bold and straight forward...and I respected him more...
He had the temerity to cross the line and proclaim his belief...I inwardly said..."ALL THE POWER TO YOU...Abbe"

Abbe...If you can do it...ACT on it...

....And the Monkey says...Question Everything....

It is daring and it is good...Breaks the mold and defeats the bureaucratic conformism of the majority...
He wants to think...and he wants to soar...and as a teacher, I will help him acquire the wings...that's what teachers do...even if they will be in trouble and reprimanded for that...

Today while browsing the news I came across the "mysterious Woman in Black"...it caught my imagination...and If I was driving to school, i would have challenged the kids and their imagination with this item...31 July 2014 Last updated at 00:30 BST

Some locals have called her a ghost, others have called her a prophet, but regardless of her true identity, a mysterious woman shrouded in black has left Americans spellbound as she travels by foot across the country.

This "woman in black," as she has been named on social media, has walked more than 1,000 miles, acquiring a loyal social media following.

One Facebook page has accumulated nearly 60,000 followers.

So who is the real "woman in black" and why is she walking from Alabama to Virginia?

I do not know why she is walking...No body knows...
I do not know what the reason behind her walk is... No one knows as yet...
But she is ACTING according to her inner urge and independent of her peers and oblivious to "what people will say..."
Some think she is a saint...Some think she has mental problems...Some think she has issues...But, SHE DOES NOT GIVE A F...to what people think...
She is ACTING and smashing the bureaucratic mold...
That's what I wanted the kids to learn...

The mysterious woman in black walking across the US

She is walking and does not give a F...What people think...She is acting according to her inner needs...

She has walked miles and miles...and people are wondering..."Is she a saint?"..."Has she lost it all?"..."Is she on drugs?"....But I admire her audacious ACT...She is doing what she needs to do...

Abhiskek declared that he does not believe in God...