|
Article by |
|
|
Scarred by School
While there may be some excellent schools and I have met some amazing teachers, many children are damaged by their schooling experience. In her book, Wounded by School One of the things Ms. Olsen cited as a crucial need is student-teacher mentor relationships, which seem to be lost in today's schools. When such a relationship does occur, it can be the turning point in a student's education. That teacher could become someone the student returns to year after year for support and guidance. Ms. Olson's comments reminded me of how keenly I appreciate the close relationships I have with my homeschooled students and their parents. Because my students choose to return to me year after year, I am able to have an ongoing relationship with them that builds over time. I am also able to develop that same mentor relationship with some parents, helping them to make the most of what I do in my classes when they are at home with their children. I don't have to see my hard work and the growth in a child's esteem undone the following year with demeaning treatment from an uncaring teacher. Instead, I have the pleasure of watching my students blossom and grow from curious children into young men and women fueled by their own passions.
|
In 
, Kirsten Olson names the various wounds that she has seen in her work in public schools. These wounds include: the belief that we are not smart or are incapable of learning, anxiety from shaming experiences, anger towards teachers and adults due to past injustices, and a dislike or confusion towards learning that is shared and passed on. I attended a seminar on Moral Education at Columbia University last fall to hear Ms. Olson speak. I was deeply moved by her approach to the difficulties facing public schools today. Ms. Olson willingly confronts these problems like a courageous healer, always ready to open a dialogue.