Higher Education

A really neat article to read to boost our spirits
and inspire "us" to be "us"!

WRITE ON!

Nice list. Am sure he connected with his student well. Understand that posting the list is well intended. In American culture we have two prime movers of change it seems:
1. Do you own thing/Just Do It! and
2. Look for exemplars and then suggest that people copy them.

The result, too often is that most are afraid to do their own thing and we wind up with way too many second-hand versions of what innovators did.

When a number of us looked at all the good teachers and schools we found that what tied them all together was either the teacher or principal really loved the kids (kids then responded to being truly loved), or the teacher was so in love with her/his subject that kids responded to that love and enthusiasm.

Those twelve items on the list and and many other people's lists all seem to start with people who love the kids and/or love their subject.

Promoting one list may seem like a good thing to do but, I find, it promotes as many poor copies as it inspires others.

Your comments would indicate to me that you yourself are a "thinker"; and your observations on the qualities that make a good teacher seem to me to be "right on".

Please remember,however, that not all of us are "born" thinkers; and any one of Mr. Gatto's suggestions might well help a student find his own way to that end.

Were we reading the same list? How does "accept mortality" (#4) or "Choose a vocation that contributes to the common good" (#8) have anything to do with "people who love the kids and/or love the subject" (your reply)? Gatto is saying that the truly educated know themselves without (or in spite of) the lens of a traditional education. This is a list for the student to ponder, not for the teacher to teach.

I agree with Princess Mom that the list is not for the teacher to teach but for the learner to think about.
As Gatto says else where, "No one can give you an education. You have to take one."

radiofreeschool.blogspot.com

During the many years of Home Educating my children, I often relied on the wisdom of knowledgeable, inspiring minds like those of John Taylor Gatto. It's wonderful to see him back and I hope that many parents will listen to his important message. Sadly, I think the "education machine" is such big business that many people cannot, or will not, see other ways. But we must not let those mired in the system prevent change. There is always hope!

Loved this article thank you and appreciate the name of your book (Dumbing down) - Too much attention to "basics" leaves us with what? Basics and basics as the ceiling. aargh! What you describe is what I call "conscious" or "aware" - imagine that; teaching, encouraging, living conscious awareness.

I love these important words of advice, and great rules to live by... I already have some of these under my belt, and plan on working on the rest... thanks for posting this article, and keep more of this great advice coming!!!

Very enjoyable read. The 'church' outside the church is often found in people who truly love, laugh, respect and can be them-selves among others.
Competition has become more selfish for gain than advancement for accomplishments.
Each person has qualities that make them different and unique. But, we all are made in the image of God. How long we continue to show that and enjoy that fact depends on 'do we believe it?' 'will we believe it?' 'what happens if we fail to believe it?' God said it, I believe it. John 3:16,17. Agape!

I agree completely that these things are essential to a well-rounded, educated person. It's unfortunate though, that so many of these things take wealth to obtain. For example, many people are not in a position where they can "choose" a vocation; if they are lucky, they can volunteer for something they believe in during their free time. It's also very difficult for many people to explore new places and see other cultures, no matter how desperately they would like to do so. I hold a Bachelor's Degree, for example, and find it nearly impossible to accomplish many of these things.

I agree with you about the part that "choosing a vocation" sounds like a wealthy person's privelege. But all the other things that Gatto lists don't require any money. You can experience other cultures by going downtown or to another neighborhood. You can create things and try things out and listen to other peoples' point of view and accept your own mortality without spending a cent. Do you really find it nearly impossible to accomplish many of these things?
Eileen

These do not seem at all correlated with wealth. I know many middle class and lower economic class people who achieve all of this and pursue their passions. There are many who choose a different lifestye (education for money not vocation/ passion), get married, take on oversized mortgage; who choose to not pursue their passions. Some are true victims of circumstances but most are not victims at all, but rather living with the consequences of their life choices.


 a vocation..... Many people find their passion nad follow it into a vocation, whether it be as an entrepreneur, farmer or motorcyle repairman. If you did not choose a vocation, did someone thrust it upon you? And as for travel, I know many who find or take time to travel the world on the cheap, work 6 months living in a cheap apartment, save every penny, go to Mexico, come back and work some more for their next adventure. Some people choose a different path (get married, assume a big mortgage, not budget for travel), but that too seems a choice.

Of course I don't know your situation, but

Well said, Mr. Gatto!

For these very reasons, the "self-educated" are almost always the best educated.

A whole lot of feelgood mumbo jumbo

I'm just curious why you feel this way. What is it about the statement and subsequent responses that you don't like?

I troubled myself to read one of Gatto's poorly written books, I think Underground History of American Education. He has a few good ideas, but I'd argue that he's far from the hero a home-schooler friend of mine claims.

I taught for twenty years in public schools, and can only argue that we need to focus on the whole of society, rather than a handful of home-schoolers.

The Whole of Society?!
 
What does THAT "mean"?! Who really "knows" what 'the whole of society' really is!?
 
Do we move mountains one bull-dozer-full at a time --- or the entire mountain at one time?!
(Or even one tea-spoon-full at a time!?)

What it really means is: the survival of our species; the limitation of our numbers; the intelligent application of science; the end of war, or even the thought of condoning it; revamping education, so it is a kids' up system; not allowing morons to have access to airwaves--extending the idea that it takes a village to raise a kid, while realizing that the world is our village. Throw in things like this http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml and we'd be on the right path.

If Gatto was really interested in teaching -- rather than preaching -- he would have simply asked, What are the qualities that differentiate an educated person from an uneducated one? After all, he believes that thinking for oneself is among those qualities.

Does everyone really need an "individual set of values"? What could that possibly mean?

Why should people explore "their own ancestry, culture, and place"? Isn't our ancestry that of all humans? Isn't our culture whatever we make it (see question 1)? Isn't our place all of planet Earth? Why this archaic, tribalistic attitude? Maybe because Gatto is a typical Libertarian Christian fundamentalist.

What does comfort being alone have to do with education? For that matter, just what is education supposed to mean in this context? Gatto doesn't bother to define it.

And what could "accept morality" possibly mean? Is there only one possible morality? Is it possible to construct a valid morality that discounts the value of generations to come? This is a statement that sounds like it's saying something, but really isn't.

Does everyone really need to create new things? Don't we have enough things already? Maybe some people would just like to preserve the investment in old things. Does that make them really uneducated people?

As I pointed out above, if educated people don't rely on the opinions of others, why do they need this list? Is there any evidence to support this list? Does it have any basis in reality? Or is it just something Gatto spun out of thin air?

Why is reverence important? Who is Gatto to decide what should be favored over material wealth? Who is this addressed to? Starving Somali children? Or white, middle class Americans? What does it take, I wonder, for a starving Somali child to qualify as 'really' educated.

Why does everyone have to "identify and cherish a place to call home"? Is there something "uneducated" about being itinerant? Are nomads simply incapable of true education? What kind of crap is this?

Why is my educational prowess dependent on adding value to *every* group of which I'm a part? Can't I just audit a few? Wouldn't it make more sense for me to focus on those areas in which I can contribute the most, and to let others step forward where I am less qualified?

And if a person cares little about herself and focuses on helping others, is she really uneducated because she's not so self-involved as to be always asking who she is, what her limits are (how many times do you really need to ask that question?), and what her possibilities are? Wouldn't a really educated person be more interested in what the situation is, what the limits of improvement are, and what the possibilities are for helping others?

But I'll bet these 12 -- a convenient and popular but utterly arbitrary number -- qualities of "really educated people" are very popular with self-involved, middle class, white Americans who want to see themselves as good people without really having to do anything all that difficult.

Gatto has gotten a free ride for way too long. It's been years since he's had anything really interesting to say. And what he said 15 years ago was never that radical anyway. The Summerhill school was doing far more interesting things long before Gatto came along, and Ivan Illich had some much more interesting things to say about "deschooling society." Avoid this pabulum and read something truly radical. You can find the full text of Illich's book, Deschooling Society, online.

@Otis So teaching Jr High kids for 30 years is not enough for you?

Just a question, what have YOU done to promote a better way of educating? How many years of crap from the admin did you go through to stand for your kids? How much research have you done, how many books written, etc....

None? I thought not. It's always the ones that bitch like you that do nothing and put other people down for their good, solid work.

You are so far off track in your post it's hard to even comment beyond that.

I would just ask you to do some positive work yourself, rather than spend your time putting others' work down.

Gatto is an inspiration to MANY for good reason.
You, on the other hand, are not.