Creative Maladjustment part1: Somehing Fishy in FernWoodLakeVille

I teach in average schools now. No more "boutique projects" (as Jonathan Kozol calls them). I sub all over Everywhere Average, Minnesota. I'm not familiar with these schools.

I grew up in New York City, an exceptional place. Until I was about 12 years old I literally thought I lived in the capital of the world. I went to "Prep" school, an exceptional place. We graduated the likes of JFK, Chevy Chase, Carly Simon, Diana Ross, Itzak Perlman. My peers went on to own restaurants, chair companies, become partners, and research at MIT. So I guess I don't know a lot about average. Blame it on my parents, my school, or upper middle class White Privilige but I've always considered my special. So many times did my parents tell me that The Rules do not apply to me. Or perhaps we're all special and should learn to view ourselves that way.

Last night I was rereading Herbert Kohl's "I won't learn from you" And Other Thoughts on Creative Maladjustment. The main point of his article on Maladjustment is thatwe should seek to question and, where necessary, subvert the dominant paradigm. The term "Creative Maladjustment" is a reference to a Martin Luther King Jr. speech. MLK said in general, it is good to be a well adjusted person, to go along with the norm of the group. However, there are certain societal ills that we should NOT adjust to. He proclaims:

" I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination.
I never intend to adjust myself to mob rule.
I never intend to adjust to the tragic effects ofthe methods of physical violence and to tragic militarism.

I call upon you to be maladjusted to such things." *


Herbet Kohl goes on to illustrate examples of Creative Maladjustment from his own teaching career.


I arrive at "Fernwood Elementary" or "Lakeville Community School". The name does not tell me what this school stands for. What is its mission and purpose? As I walk towards the office the hallways are lined with student work but also commercially produced, teacher store bought signs with vague slogans like "Your Positive Attitude is Your Best Asset" or " You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don't Take." Some of the slogans are better than others. Once I spied one of my favorite quotes, words that I try to live by, painted on the wall between the teacher's lounge and the gymnasium: "You Must Be the Change You Wish to See In the World." --Mohandes Ghandi.

I don't think it's actually the slogans that bother me. What bothers me is that they are store bought and that there seems to be such a huge disconnect between the words on the walls and what I actually see being taught to children.

Or absence thereof.

I once taught at a school that chose as its mission to teach children to builders of peace in their world. I felt that the entire staff took this message to heart because I saw it evidenced by our actions. We talked about character in the hallways, we talked about building peace in our staff meetings, and I saw teachers acting kindly to each other.

First of all, most of the student work looks identical.

I once had a co-worker, a fourth grade teacher, complain to me about a disobedient student in her room. " We were making snowmen and he kept putting the head and the arms in the wrong position. He was doing it on purpose!"

"Well, what was the assignement?" I asked.

I don't remember the teacher's response but I could tell from her reaction that I completely missed her point. I think she wanted her students to blindly follow directions and produce identical results. I, however, don't see the point of her anger.
What was the objective of the lesson? To teach 4th graders the proper anatomy of a snowman? If there even is such a thing then I'm assuming that 4th graders already know it. Was the purpose to create something pretty? Decorative? Expresssive? Well, then who gets to decide what "good art" looks like?

I think either the assignment was a waste of time in the first place or the only objective was fun,in which case, there are no wrong answers.

I think this everytime I see kindergarten turkeys or 3rd grade self-portraits. Now for younger children I can see the point in learning the appropriate colors for things, demonstrating mastery of fine motor control with cutting and pasting and coloring and even the merit in producing a turkey or a snowman with its head in the right place. But then, once that is achieved, for love's sake, let the kids make whatever they want.

Today Fernwood Elementary had a "Student of the Month" Celebration. One student was chosen per class for exemplifying the character trait for the month: responsibility. At this school students are also assigned colors for their behavior and given tickets for doing the right thing. So, if I'm a Third Grader, I wait for my teacher to tell me when I've been bad. I start the day "on green" for "Go" or "good behavior". If I don't follow directions or make a mistake then I change my card to "yellow", the warning color. The next step is red. At red I lose 5 minutes of recess time. At black I lose my whole recess and may have to visit the principal's office or have my parents contacted.

What does this teach me? That I should wait for adults to categorize my behavior? Does it teach me to fix my mistake or make amends?

I don't like this carrot and stick behaviorist approach. Neither do I like behavior charts in which students have to accumulate smiley faces for obedience in order to purchase rewards such as a pizza party or cheap toy. I do not think these tactics teach kids to internalize values for proper behavior. I don't think it teaches them to be kind or responsible or think for themselves. Only to wait for authority figures to tell them what they are worth and dole out rewards and punishments.

There has got to be a better way.


I also discovered today that I am the only teacher that plays at recess. What I don't get is this: Most adults agree that daily exercise is important. The great majority pay $30 - $50 a month to run on a treadmill while staring at a tv or to lift weighted objects in rapid succession. Isn't it a lot more fun and affordable to just run around outside with the kids at recess? I don't really see teachers using that prep time for anything other than chatting with their adult friends. That's good too, I guess. But I save that for after work. Besides most of the teachers that I met today look like they forgot how to play a long time ago. And I wasn't very interested in getting to know them any further.

The children were far more interesting.