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The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
Sep
6
The cult of educational romanticism is setting kids up for failure
Filed Under "At-risk" students, The Way I See It
The cult of educational romanticism is setting kids up for failure. The sooner we accept that not all students have the intellectual ability to become anything they or maybe more importantly any thing their parents want them to be , the better. We need to stop setting kids up for failure by pretending that they can do anything given the right amount of support at school. Let me tell you here right now that’s not the case. Just be a fly on the wall in my classroom for a few of days and see for yourself.
I’ve just read Margaret Wente’s excellent summary of Charles Murray’s book “Real Education” in today’s Globe and Mail. Ironically, last week I finished reading ”Real Education” myself and wondered if I was a member of the cult of education romanticism. I decided that I wasn’t even though I am a special ed. teacher who optimistically gives support to kids who are struggling/reluctant learners. I don’t think that all or even most kids are average or above average and should attend college or university. I have to agree with Charles Murray when he says he doesn’t believe that any child can be anything he or she wants. My expereince as a classroom teacher for over 25 years bears this out. No, I’m not an educational romantic and I’m sure that many classroom teachers aren’t either. Unfortunately, wishing everyone could be anything they want to be doesn’t make it so.
I think many parents are educational romantics. Many parents want their kids who are weak in math to become engineers, or weak in science to become doctors . I can’t tell you how many times students in my classes have told me their parents want them to be something that the kids can’t be because it’s beyond their capability or don’t want to be because it’s not their interest. Many parents need to be more realistic and not set their kids up for failure by demanding they do something that’s well beyond them.
I’m really encouraged by the fact that the guidance counselors and co-op teachers I know are doing their best to encourage kids and their parents to take the appropriate educational pathway so that kids can be successful at something that’s commensurate with their abilities and interests and not failures at something that isn’t.
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Very interesting post. It is the dilemma of special ed teachers to help parents overcome this exaggerated view of their child’s capabilities, so they may accurately help them plan for future.
During my graduate program, many of our professors, as well as textbooks, recommended that we think of parents’ struggle with the initial realization and acceptance of the special needs of their child more as a death. The death of normalcy. We studied concepts developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, beginning with her book, “On Death and Dying”. These concepts of the process of growing out of grieving have held me in good stead.
The stages of grief and grieving for the death of normalcy of the child remain the same as if the child had died. If we work to brings families through the grieving process, we can help them accept the reality and existence of their actual child.
If there is any romanticism, it is the same romanticism that one finds surrounding the discussion of a deceased family member. If families get stuck in this process, they may never be able to grow and move on, BUT that is also OUR responsibility to ensure that these families receive clear, yet respectful information and opportunities that CAN be implemented for their child.
Teachers must remain separate from the family’s grieving process. We cannot hold out false hopes or agree by our silence on the subject. Fortunately, we do have access to colleagues who deal with these issues, and they can guide us also.
Thank you for writing this post. It was very thought provoking.
Sheryl,
I am familiar with Kubler-Ross’ concepts about death and dying , but had never made the connection between the process of coming to terms with a physical death of a loved one and the death of normalcy. Thank you for helping me make that connection. Of course the process would be the same.
I agree. I’ve subbed before and there are definitely some kids who are not going anywhere. Basic math is a challenge for these kids.
Matt,
Math is definitely a challenge for some kids. This week I asked my grade nine locally developed math class how many weeks were in a year only one student knew- ditto for how many days in a year. This happens year after year.
In discussing this with another spec ed teacher, she thought it was because that info has no relevance in their life. I don’t know what to think.
I think there are beliefs that are entrenched in our culture which feed the expectation that all students will travel the K to 12 path lock-step and then go to university. Following that route has become the definition of success. Statements like “only x % of our grads go on to university” and concerns about grad rates are in part evidence of that. Grad rates seem to be calculated using very narrow and maybe unrealistic parameters.
If we really honoured diversity, would we not see many other ways to be successful? Would we not design programs that allow kids to explore possibilities, and to fail safely? Right now the penalties for exploration and risk-taking are too high.
I believe the paradigm is changing. The mission statement of our superintendents organization is “improving the life-chances of every child”. That makes me feel a little more optimistic: it is a goal that is both worthy and achievable.
Jan,
Tha paradigm is changing and there are more pathways open now -pathway to work,pathway to college, and pathway to university. The only thing is the pathways are there but some people can’t be persuaded to take the appropriate one. I think we need to do more marketing so that people will appreciate the pathway to work and to trades.
It takes brains and skills to be a good plumber, electrician, sheet metal worker carpenter, baker, etc. People need to realize that the pathway to work or college is not a second rate pathway. That’s the problem now.
Who are we to decide what is the appropriate educational pathway for students? If students and parents are not sure of the child’s cognitive capabilities, how is it that we as educators know more than they? especially with our SPED populations?
I see this as a dangerous path to follow on two counts; 1)Students move to the level of expectations that are placed on them by educators. The research on this self-fullfilling prophesy is over-whelming and conclusive, 2) We better not be taking away the hopes and dreams of students and parents for their children if we are going to be worth our pay checks at the end of the day. What makes a great teacher/educator is our eternal optimism for the future of our students. We need to turn our faith in God, that which cannot be seen, nor heard, nor measured, into faith in our student’s ability to think critically on whatever level of difficulty is appropriate.
This is just openning another crack for which students will fall through.
Paul,
“We better not be taking away the hopes and dreams of students and parents for their children if we are going to be worth our pay checks at the end of the day.”
I think we are worth our pay cheques if we are honest with our students and their parents.
Well, where I come from, all kids are above average.
Where I come from, anyone can be President if they try really hard and click their heels three times.
Where I come from, information is going to free us from our connection to the sun, the ground, the air.
Where I come from, hands are subservient to the cortex, and love subservient to efficiency.
Where I come from, teachers can be replaced by CPUs, paper by photons, wisdom by information.
Where I come from, success is defined by income. I drive a nicer car than you.
[Ms. Hartjes, a wonderful post....I love reading your blog.]
Hi Elona,
What a great post that leads to such a rich discussion. This is what I LOVE about the web. As an English teacher and drama director, I spent lots of time with kids and their parents who were frustrated when they didn’t get a lead in a play. Doesn’t seem quite as significant as special ed kids who struggle with the basics, but it points to the same issue of our role as teachers. I once saw myself as lead material and sad to say, no one else did. It was good for me to have a teacher who helped me redirect my passion for theater to directing.
I tried to do the same.
Bonnie
Glad I stopped by today.
This was a really timely post for me!
I *just* began my student teaching, and have two classes which consist entirely of kids in need of modifications, and yet, the courses are still ‘academic’. Basically, we need to teach these struggling kids who have a vast range of needs and reasons for being there, the exact same material, in the same depth, as the other students without difficulty.
Needless to say, this is a challenge, and while I know that we are supposed to have this ‘romantic’ idea of every child being equally capable in everything, I just can’t buy into it. It’s the kids, as you say, who will ultimately suffer.
In my position I hear so many teachers give up on children. So I guess I would extend your thesis and say that although not everyone can be anything they want to be, our job is to help them find out what they can be. And every child has something that they CAN do well though that thing may not be something we ever do in school.
Mathew,
You’re absolutely right. We need to help students be aware of their strengths and help them discover what their strength are and where these strengths can take them in the world of work as well as school.
I spend a lot of my time in and out of class talking to my students about their strengths and the options these strengths give them. I try to be very realistic too about what to avoid. If they are very weak in math and hate it, I advise them it would be prudent not to get a job that entails lots of math. If they have trouble sitting still, I advise them to get a job that lets them move about. This all seems like common sense, but many students don’t know which jobs match their strengths, their likes and dislikes. I guess common sense comes from experience, experience these kids don’t have yet. That’s why we need to help them.
I’ve had senior students change their career paths because they discovered they had a strength in an area they were unaware of.
It’s actually quite rewarding to see a student gain confidence about his or her future because they know they have strengths not just weaknesses.
I myself am also a realist. I agree with you that you should encourage children as much as possible, but not have expectations for them that they cannot reach. Parents should be content with their child’s interests and gifts as they are.
The idea that anyone can succeed at the same level is not logical. The idea that everyone can succeed at their own level is sound. The danger with letting go of “romantic notions” comes when teachers start making decisions about which children will be able to succeed and who can do well and who is “not worth the effort” Children surprise us on a daily basis. We need to give children the opportunity to succeed. It isn’t up to us to decide who is capable and who is not.
Crystal,
Thank you for your insight. I agree that we need to appreciate whatever intersts and gifts a child has.
GH,
I shudder to think that a teacher would think a student “was not worth the effort”. We need to respect our students and look for ways to help them succeed to the best of their ability. As for deciding what that their potential is, we need to let our children show us what it is by giving them the support they need to blossom and grow.
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