status quo ante — “the state of things as it was before.”
During the first fourteen years of my schooling I was taught the status quo. Yes I answered a lot of questions, some of which I even came up with, but I never “questioned” anything. I learned about Pilgrims, read all the books “smart” kids were suppose to read, and was told pollution was bad. During this time I cannot ever remember having to think about what I was learning. I was just expected to become part of the status quo, and I should say, becoming part of the status quo was my goal.
In my sophomore year of college I had a professor who was somewhat controversial. He said and taught things that went against the status quo. He presented ideas that I could not help think about-controversial ideas that did not just flow into my brain, but something made me stop, make conclusions, and seek out evidence before accepting or rejecting them. He made me “think” about what I was learning and being taught—I started to “question” everything and have not stopped.
An idea that is controversial always makes me think more than one that re-states the status quo. I have not seen many blog posts, plurks, tweets, or ed websites that challenge the status quo. If you read most comments they all tend to be written to tell the writer why they agree with their point.
Can we truly teach kids to question things without bringing up controversial topics into our classroom? We can’t teach kids to challenge the status quo by simply having them answer questions about generic topics and maybe even sometime “creating” their own questions that they answer. I know I have stopped bringing up ideas of mine that would be considered controversial in school. Folks hear them and minds close-I am assumed to be wrong because my ideas do not support the status quo. I think that also applies to this blog–as a small time blogger I am afraid of having someone feel “offended.”
I know that I also do not feel safe talking about controversial topics in class. Kids would love it, but parents would not see it as an opportunity for their kid to question and examine their own belief system, examine evidence from multiple points-of-views, draw a conclusion and defend it with data and facts. All it would take is one single phone call from a parent to destroy my life. I am not ready for that.
5 responses so far ↓
Unfortunately I have to disappoint you – I must “agree” with the sentiments expressed in your posting.
If we only teach the status quo, the status quo will remain the status quo. Therefore we must challenge, challenge, challenge.
You just gave me a good idea: post something on the blog, but take the opposite view of what you think your readers would have – just to see if they could be shaken from their slumber.
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“I know that I also do not feel safe talking about controversial topics in class. Kids would love it, but parents would not see it as an opportunity for their kid to question and examine their own belief system, examine evidence from multiple points-of-views, draw a conclusion and defend it with data and facts. ”
There’s that “real world” interfering again. You’re hired by a school district, you become its employee. You break the district’s rules (or raise the parents’ hackles) and you risk being “self employed” again.
Perhaps a way around the conundrum: generate excitement in the learner through questioning non-controversial topics, then urging the learner to continue the process in “other” topics.
Back in the 1950s, our family lived in Texas. One day in 9th grade I was trying to stay awake listening to my social studies teacher lecture; she used to lecture with her notes in one hand and a slice of pecan pie in the other. She looked up, stopped lecturing in mid-sentence, and asked us all to go over to the window. We were told to look outside and tell her what we saw.
We saw a large school district van, being loaded with dirty football uniforms and equipment. That’s what we told her.
She then looked at us and said “The school board just bought us new athletic stuff, so they’re taking the old stuff to the colored high school for them to use.”
She paused, asked us to return to our desks, and said “Is that right? Don’t answer now – just think about that tonight.”
As a tangent – I disagree that Paul’s readers need to be shaken from their slumber. They’re already quite awake, thank you.
But by extension, the world needs more Pauls.
T.
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I have to agree with you as well. I do not bring up anything that I believe may be controversial. Farmer Tom is correct in saying that “There’s that “real world” interfering again. You’re hired by a school district, you become its employee. You break the district’s rules (or raise the parents’ hackles) and you risk being “self employed” again.” Unfortunately, the school districts do not want controversy, either. It’s sad, but we are asked to teach the students as effectively as we can without “shaking things up.”
– Theresa
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Creative teachers can shake the status quo without being an obnoxious or obvious rabble-rouser or risking their jobs. All it takes is well-designed, problem-based webquests, wikis, or exploratory units in which students find out for themselves that a current issue or topic is more complex than they might think. Students do not need another person telling them what to think. They need to be taught HOW to think, and this means they need to learn investigative skills and acquire media & information literacy. It is the activities we design and the questions we pose that make a difference, not the answers we give.
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@sharon-
I think that when we teach kids “how” to think, we also subliminally teach them when to think. I am in no way implying that we should tell them what to think, but give them topics that force them to think about taking a stand. For example, the classic Social Studies inquiry unit is whose fault was the Boston Massacre or Who Fired the Shot Heard Round the World. Both units will take kids through how to think, how to detect bias, examine multiple point of views, and make conclusions and back them up with evidence. Since it really doesn’t matter which side the kid takes(to the kid), I don’t know if there is a carry over to say…hmmmm…hearing about a latest study on TV and questioning it instead of just believing what the reporter is saying.
Thanks for the comment Sharon!
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