Day Four

Teacher In-Service: Day Four

Did you know that Today is International Youth Day? 15th of August. Or is it International Workers day? Both fit I suppose. Kids are the labour force.

Don’t kid yourself. The majority of (the majority 90% kids go to school) public school children will end up working for the minority of business owners controlling education, thus future laborers. For profit.

Promises and threats are the lead motivating factors of this game. Promises of a job and retirement (a skeptical someday), coupled with day to day threats of detention- attendance punishments. Hard work in school will surly lead to hard workers, right? Even if the classes serve no other purpose than to use up precious time.

Time is money. Your time is of great value. That is why this system works so well. If you don’t have time to think for yourself, learn for yourself then the thinking and learning will be done for you. Done on to you. Forcibly. Expensively.

That minority- that teeny tiny triangle at the top of the current hierarchy- earnestly believes they have invested in education thus, they ‘own’ your time. Great energy resources have been used to ensure you stay put, in school.

The earlier, say pre-kindergarten, the better. The longer the days, say with before and afterschool ‘interventions.’ Interventions to help kids pass mandatory classes (classes that serves no other purpose than to use up precious time) with no reliable explanation as to why these classes are so essential. Oh, and if you question the game, well then you will be suspect. Do not use time to get others thinking!  (Is the message).

After spending three to four peaceful and quiet days in (imaginary) I.School- service, we will address such difficult questions. Questions as to the Why we are doing this. Uncomfortable topics and conversions that will undoubtedly lead to conflict. And That is where the narrative will be redirected- To kids and what will serve Them better. And what will serve them better? It might be to see you, the teacher, exemplifying  what you want. Perhaps a peaceful, quiet, calm balanced presence, which is the purpose of the first week in I.School. Time is honey.

Did you know that Today is International Youth Day? Me neither, because there is no time in school to spend on such frivolous holidays.

International. Youths- are at the mercy of that teeny tiny triangle at the top. Now what?

“How we spend our days is How we spend our lives!” is painted on a kitschy picture in a kitschy cottage where I sit writing this. How true.

Days spent in school are such a quintessential, archaic aspect of institutionalized learning- so deeply rooted it is difficult to shift thought.

Shifting thought is exactly what the first week of I.School is for.