Reactions or Responses?

Mentor Meeting | Foundations of Education | 04/30/08 | Andy Smallman

I had my first mentor meeting with Andy Smallman, Director of PSCS. I have worked with Andy for almost 4 years now so this wasn’t a typical first mentor meeting. We jumped right into the topics I am studying in the Foundations course. Being progressive educators, as we talked about mainstream American public education and the events that have shaped it, we naturally also turned our attention to the events that have shaped progressive education. In doing so, I realized that the events that have made public education what it is today have something very much in common with what makes progressive education the way it is. Both have  largely been built on the basis of reactionary ideas and policies. Let me explain.

As industrialization grew, there was a need to have a “work force” who would fulfill the needs of the industrialized society. As a reaction to growing industrialization, public education was made more standardized. Standardization was a reaction to the industrialized way of society. When the standardization needed to be made accountable, testing was introduced. Testing was a reaction to the need for accountability. Each event was a drastic emulator apk reaction. When testing and standardization seemed onerous, progressive education came about. Total freedom and open schools started as a reaction to what did not work in mainstream public education. They weren’t always rooted in what children need and how lasting learning can come about. They were instead rebuttals to what was not working. Not every event was/is always a reaction but a lot of events and decisions are.

What we lose in being reactionary is perspective. We lose perspective on the reality of a situation and being able to see things for what they are. In reacting, we narrow in on what doesn’t work and then try to fix it. We fail to see the whole picture — what works, why it does, what doesn’t work, why it doesn’t, what the situation needs, and, so what needs to be done. Every new situation, every change needs a response, not a reaction. If we can begin to respond, we may pause and see things for what they are and then let the right action follow. We won’t then be sitting on a mountain of reactions.

In seeking to understanding the history of American public and progressive education, I hope to learn about all the reactions. I hope then to see the effect of the reactions and find in myself a way to respond, rather than react.