Creating a Culture of "It Wasn't Me!"

In my brief experience as a teacher, one of the most frustrating things was that my middle schoolers very rarely owned up to doing wrong. "It wasn't me!" was by far one of the most common phrases I heard on a daily basis.

I am a believer that kids learn behaviors in response to their environments and experiences. Therefore, I believe this response was learned. I also believe that the public school environment is a perfect breeding ground for such behavior. After all, no one ever wants to take responsibility when things go awry in public education. However, I don't think that's what directly causes such behavior in students.

I have to wonder if the Zero-Tolerance policy employed by many schools is primarily to blame for our students' adamant denial of wrongdoing. I say this because Zero-Tolerance by definition means there is no due process and anyone thought to be doing wrong is automatically punished without being allowed to defend himself. So if a kid really is innocent, she will vehemently declare it wasn't her, for fear of punishment without ever getting to tell her side or explain her behavior. I can't tell you how many situations were resolved when I just allowed my students to explain (after class) what happened. Sometimes students would even write me notes to explain the situation and avoid punishment.  

As a disclaimer, I do think a Zero Tolerance policy is necessary in some urban schools where gang violence is a problem. But it shouldn't be the norm.

So what is the alternative? I have heard of a few schools that have a peer review setup, where a group of students will decide on the appropriate consequence for the offending student. I like this idea, as it more closely mirrors society and creates a culture of accountability. Moreover, it can be a valuable experience for the peer jurors and can help the offending student see things from his peers' perspectives.

Many discipline problems could be avoided in the first place if our schools used researched-based practices and weren't overcrowded. For example, as I mentioned in my previous post, brain research is rarely (if ever) applied to teaching. Another example: I have an entire book on movement aiding in memory and yet kids are often expected to sit in their seats for the duration of class, which can partly be attributed to overcrowding. It's no wonder we have such rampant cases of ADD and ADHD. And since it relates, here is an article about ADHD being a hoax.

Alternative Schooling and Parenting

I'm not a parent yet but greatly look forward to that day. My husband and I have agreed that if we fully subscribe to the libertarian non-aggression principal as we do, that needs to also apply to parenting. So lately I have been reading blogs about what are mostly known as "alternative parenting" styles such as Attachment Parenting and Peaceful Parenting.

Most of these blogs mention how difficult it can be to deviate from mainstream ways and opinions. In fact, these parenting styles go beyond deviation to flat out rebellion against common mainstream parenting. I completely understand how tough it must be when other parents on the playground expect you to go over to your kid and respond a certain way to whatever issue has arisen. When you don't, there are looks of pity, of surprise, of frustration and even anger. But one thing these blogs agree on is to keep the child at the center of the response, for it is about their growth and not what these lollygags think.

I believe this mindset is similar to that of public school, which is the primary (mainstream) way we do things in the US. Because public school is the mainstream, people raise their eyebrows when an alternative such as homeschooling or unschooling is mentioned. One reaction is that public school is something kids just have to get through-- after all "I did it," many adults lament.

As a teacher and avid reader of educational blogs and research, I can't subscribe to public school. It goes against what we fundamentally know to be true about how children learn. I recently started reading a fascinating book on neuroplasticity, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain, about a woman diagnosed with severe learning disabilities who developed brain exercises to rewire her brain. As a child, she struggled tremendously in public school. The thing that got her through was her impeccable memory, which she used to regurgitate information on tests while not understanding it at all. For her sake, I am glad she was able to do this. But any school system that allows children to pass without understanding the material in the slightest is obviously doing a disservice to those children and to society as a whole.

Neuroplasticity and even the entire field of neuroscience is largely ignored in public schools. On a positive note, the bridge between education and neuroscience is finally being bridged via a new masters degree known at Harvard as Mind, Brain, and Education. It will certainly take time for this information and these degrees to be applied to education reform but at least we're finally bridging this gap!

Energetic employee wanted

As I've scoured the internet for jobs the past couple months, I've noticed something. It's actually pretty hard to miss: most employers seek "energetic" employees, which makes absolute sense because no one wants a lazy, lackluster employee. Having energy is a universally desirable trait, no matter the field.

And yet, in schools, energetic kids are seen as a problem. In fact, they are often medicated for having too much energy. In FACT, it is not uncommon for a school to threaten parents that unless they medicate their rambunctious child, the school will be forced to kick the kid out.

Once again, schools are missing the mark. Not only are they killing creativity, as shown in studies and lamented by Sir Ken Robinson, but they are killing energy.