Chapter 3 - Kathleen White

Creative Connector

“… he is the Picasso/ of your western states/ but he will die/ with one thousand masterpieces/ hanging only from his hand” pg. 43

This quote killed me before I even read the chapter. As an art teacher I believe that everyone can create art, not only in my classroom and in his or her general education classroom but in life as well. Not just physical art but success in life. I don’t mean to sound trite or naïve, but I fundamentally believe that each kid can do amazing things. These chapters show how a large number of students are sold short by the very system that supposed to be their stepping-stones into the world.

“When other sixth-grade rooms went on field trips, Ferguson’s class stayed behind… If the school had really wanted to help the kids in 307, why hadn’t they assigned them their best, most creative, most enthusiastic educator?” pg. 53

This past summer I was SCIP-R (Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention – Revised) trained, and one of the things we talked about was our response to negative behaviors. When you or I have a bad day what do we do? Yell at ourselves? Take away things that comfort us or make us happy? No! We treat ourselves well, go to our comfort items and do things that make us happy. When individuals are having behaviors, or when our students are misbehaving/not performing as they should we take them away from their peers, remove things that will help make their experience fun, memorable and enjoyable. Yes, I believe in consequences for individual actions, but I don’t think its right when we deprive people of what is rightly theirs and the things that could help them succeed.

“Raise those test scores or you can kiss your jobs good-bye.” (and this whole passage)Pg. 56

Two days ago I had a discussion with one of my professors about the No Child Left Behind Act. I hate what the act has done, creating a school system where test scores are seemingly more important than student learning. Where schools that are underperforming get their funding reduced. It seems like a downward cycle. I do know, however, that the intention was good. I hate to admit it but I can see where administration was coming from. The goal was to find a way educate every child, regardless of circumstance, and it just turned into equal testing for all. It just makes me think of the trouble our educational system is in right now and that no matter how passionate I am there is a set of numbers that could erase something that is so important to me and so beneficial to my students.

Essence Extractor

The very students we should be giving every resource to so that they can succeed are the ones we punish by removing resources.

Idea Illustrator

This is an image of a fabulous flow chart of the situation in class 307, the "low performing" class Mr. Michie had been working with after school. It also shows my thoughts on what could happen if the situation was changed. (check out the "key" for clarity!)

~Kathleen