Bird droppings May 21, 2024
Translating and communicating also involve perception

“Scientific management is always on guard against people who don’t fit securely into boxes, whether because of too much competency, too much creativity, too much popularity, or what have you. Although often hired, it is with the understanding they must be kept on a short leash and regarded warily. The ideal hireling is reflexively obedient, cheerfully enthusiastic about following orders, and ever eager to please. Training for this position begins in the first grade with the word, don’t.” John Taylor Gatto, Weapons of Mass Destruction, 2010

I looked for a copy of John Dewey’s Experience and Education a few days back. As I traveled the bookstores, the only one available was a tiny version that old folks like me have difficulty reading, which I already have. The new printing is a slightly larger font and much easier to read. While looking for Dewey’s book, I found Gatto’s latest endeavor. The book’s subtitle is A Schoolteacher’s Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling. While a teacher of thirty years, Gatto sees the issues rampant in education today. Teaching to the test is not just a catchphrase but a method of teaching that is being taught to teachers. Here is what is on the test. Now, teach just this.

In about eight weeks, I may have students in a classroom again since I have a hard time retiring. I will walk down hallways and talk with students and teachers, and I wonder if anything will be different from when I left. I wonder if teachers have studied how to be more effective and if students read and became more scholarly over the weeks of summer. Some teachers have attended graduate school, and many will have attended leadership training programs teaching them how to manage teachers and students better and move them through the education processes so that required tests get passed. A few may have opted for philosophy, literature, psychology, social studies, or other more liberal arts courses.

“An effective teacher is one who is able to convince not half or three quarters but essentially all of his or her students to do quality work in school.” Dr. William Glasser, MD.

In his book The Quality School, Dr. Glasser explains his ideas. I found it interesting that one of his first references was Dr. W. Edwards Deming, who revolutionized the Japanese industry. The Japanese contracted with a US quality expert whom the US industry barely recognized to improve quality. In a few short years, they overtook and surpassed the US industry in production and quality. I can recall a few years ago when a US car company used the slogan “Quality is job 1”. A good view of quality is the resale value of cars and trucks. It’s amazing how nearly all of the top ten best resale vehicles are Japanese.

“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.” Dale Carnegie

Carnegie provides a quick guide to life for teachers, parents, students, and children. I have always felt that an example is the key to almost any aspect of life. I wish it were not so, but how we look and are perceived is often how we are judged first. What we say can affect those around us, how they determine whether or not to believe us, and how we say it. What do we mean? Looking at Carnegie’s words, I wonder if there is more to communication somewhere.

“A world community can exist only with world communication, which means something more than extensive short-wave facilities scattered about the globe. It means common understanding, a common tradition, common ideas, and common ideals.” Robert M. Hutchins

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Anthony Robbins

Although both hold elements needed for people to communicate worldwide, even in another town, a common language, a standard set of words, and ideas are needed to initiate thoughts. It also knows that each person may see the world differently and be able to work around that and through that.

“The higher you go, the wider the network of communication that will make or break you. It extends not only to more people below but to new levels above. And it extends all around to endless other departments and interests interacting with yours.” Donald Walton

I went by Walmart yesterday looking for a particular item, a movie my son and I wanted to watch; no luck, but as we were walking out, he and I had both been thinking the same thought. This store was a mini-mall for this community; people were just shopping, walking about, looking everywhere. Wal-Mart had become a focal point for this town. I had recently been to a Walmart Sam’s Club, talking with a manager and other staff. There is a network of communication.

As I sit here going back through my morning writing, I have used many industry icons as featured quotes. I started using a quote from an educator who implicates industry as a culprit in our current education process. Creating workers, yet each of the industrial leader’s quotes does not imply that. Yesterday, as I emailed back and forth with several friends, we discussed building a network of teachers, and working that network would not build a powerful teaching tool. What about a parent network where issues could be immediately clarified and discussed in the open rather than become sore and fester? Communication is essential in today’s fast-paced world and is so overlooked. Today is a day where a week is nearly over; please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and your heart’s namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)
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