> I appreciated Phillip's recent comments re: coercion in schools.
I too appreciated your further questions about this focus.
> Some children expect limits, after all...
> and, as a parent myself, I really would like to believe that adults do,
> at least SOME of the time, know what's best for children.
I agree, I would also like to believe that adults do know what's
best for children. Having taught elementary school for twenty five years
I'm beginning to think that adults know as little about what _best_ for
children, as they know what _best_ for adults. In both scenarios there
are great difficulties in making decisions that affect someone else's
life, and is actually best for them. As adults with children, we're not
totally in the dark - but I don't think that we're terribly enlightened.
> I guess
> a world where children are allowed to do whatever they'd like to do
> whenever they'd like to do it just worries me. How will they learn to
> value other people's feelings and opinions when they are constantly
> told that the only thing that matters is what they want? How can they
> ever learn to have some minimal amount of respect for others?
I most certainly don't want a world where children are allowed to
do whatever they'd like - as "Lord of the Flies" demonstrates, children
who do what they like will replicate the adult society and inflict an
astonishing amount of violence within their community.
You wonder how children will learn to value other's feelings and
opinions and demonstrate respect. As a classroom teacher I struggle with
that all the time. And I contrast the most common ground rules of an
elementary classroom with a college classroom just over the issue of
talking when someone else, teacher included, is talking.
We have all experienced teacher response to classroom talking in
an elementary classroom. The most general response is a reprimand,
sometimes a curt put-down, sometimes a mark on the report card, sometimes
punishment such as loss of recess, etc.
Student talking within a college classrom is generally ignored.
Sometimes I have heard vague references by the instructor that it is
polite to listen, and sometimes I have heard direct comments .. "Could we
all please listen."
There are, however, no blots on the report card. There
are no punishments dealt out. There are no direct reprimands. "Ms
Schulze, I'd like you to go stand outside in the hall until you can sit
quietly in class during class discussions."
Why is coercion used with children, where for the same behavior
in adults is is most often ignored or there is a polite comment.
In my classroom I want to direct the process, not the students.
I think that that shoulc apply to all students.
> Perhaps I misunderstand your position, Phillip.
I think that the misunderstanding is in degree - that perhaps
there was a move into a dicotomy - if there is no coercion, there is
terrible behavior.
Does this help clarify what I'm attempting to explain?
Did I understand you clearly?
Phillip
pwhite. who-is-at carbon.cudenver.edu