Earl Brunner on sun 10 aug 03
As an elementary teacher I have a few less than kind things to say about
so called parenting today. But I doubt it would accomplish much.
I'll say this, it's a society problem, not an education problem, and it
shows up in school, at home, in public, on TV, in our jails and
hospitals. Society is sliding down a slippery slope into chaos. Values
are being abandoned, eroded and replaced; time will tell if that is an
improvement but I doubt it. The very fabric of our society, the family
is being redefined. The products of these changes in the family are the
children that we get in school. Children still living with both parents
and with siblings from the same two parents are now the exception, not
the norm in our schools.
Society insists on including ALL children into the regular classroom.
Even emotionally disturbed, violent, aggressive children (and if they
have an I.E.P. and have been diagnosed with a "disability" then not only
can they not be excluded, but you can not punish them for behavior
related to their condition). You may not use negative behavior
modification techniques to reduce negative behavior. However the rest
of the children must still learn at their expected rates, they can (and
do)get in trouble for the same behavior that the other child gets away
with.
Problems in the schools are but symptoms of greater problems. But
blaming the teachers is SO fashionable.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of clay.music
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2003 9:04 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: about teaching
Since there have been a few less than kind remarks about certain aspects
of
teaching lately, I feel compelled to share my teaching experience with
the
group.
clay.music on sun 10 aug 03
Since there have been a few less than kind remarks about certain aspects of
teaching lately, I feel compelled to share my teaching experience with the
group.
Last week I had 12 privileged children ages 8 and 9 for a windchime, masks
and tile making workshop. It was at the local Quaker school so the rules
were pretty loose. Five days, six hours per day I had to orchestrate
activities that would keep everyone interested and participating. No problem
I thought blithely last winter when I agreed to do this. Let me say first
and foremost, I am not a teacher by profession although in my professional,
non clay life I have taught a variety of things to adults.
I prepared some examples of each project, collected things to add interest
to the tools I was promised would be there and feeling light hearted, showed
up for class last Monday morning with a smile on my face. What greeted me
was a broken slab roller, 7 rolling pins in assorted states of
deterioration, a large box of tools that hadn't been treated with any kind
of respect and 12 children with totally different agendas, most which didn't
intersect with my ideas of what we were going to do.
To my amazement, we found many things about clay that kept us working for
hours each day. Even the ADD child could focus limitedly and was able to
make a respectable windchime. Our journey with each project taught all of us
how to improvise, a little patience and the delight at making magic with our
hands. Did I mention that it was a rainy week? Just another challenge to
overcome. Fortunately there was enough clay to add making coil pots. When it
got predictable, I made the kids put away their tools and only use their
hands to create. When they got selfish, we had to rotate places at the work
tables and do projects in collaboration with their neighbors. One
collaboration produced a 9 room toad house complete with rugs, lamps, 2
bedrooms with furniture and a totally furnished living room. It was awesome.
The school had 2 kilns, one a 1018 Skutt which was thankfully small enough
to run several bisque firings. We even managed one glaze firing for the
windchime parts. By party time Friday afternoon, everyone had a completed
windchime and numerous other creations to show their parents. Each workshop
was invited to an ice cream social but then had to dream up a project to
give back to the school. After discussion, this group took some of their
afternoon play ground time to wash and clean every single clay tool.
Once I closed the art studio door after the last child walked away Friday
afternoon I had to say large prayers of thanks. This was the hardest thing
I've ever done. No way does any teacher ever get pay or recognition for what
they are worth to our children. And quite honestly, this was a simple clay
camp. The rigors of the school year are simply more than I can comprehend.
For a complete week I was so tired each afternoon when I got home from
teaching I couldn't even muster up the strength to sweep my studio floor,
let alone begin on projects of my own. I have mentally thanked every teacher
I've ever had, and will never,ever be tempted to think of teaching as less
than the hardest job imaginable. To all the teachers out there, I salute
you!
Sara O'Neill
Geometrix Clay Designs
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