I just thought about it, and I should probably expand on what I think about school.
Now, I'm not sure what sort of degree my cousin Kevin has (it might be a 2 year, it might have somethign to do with his time in the military) but I believe I am the first male Kelly to have graduated from College (assuming I do not fail my French final or Writing in Cyberspace, which I do not see happening). This doesn't really make me feel important or special, considering the degree of success members of my family have experienced without formal education. For instance my father is the manager of Radiation Control and Protection, Health and Safety, and Enivronmentals for General Dynamics Electric Boat. I think he wanted to get a degree in anthropology.
Does this mean I don't value education? No, but I do abhor schools. I can count on one hand (maybe one and a half) the number of teachers I've found truly valuable- and considering one or two teachers a year for K-6, and 5 or 6 teachers a year for 7-12, and numerous teachers per semester for four and a half years of college...Well, the track record for teachers is pretty bad. Maybe I'm a tough audience. Or maybe they're not as heroic as they're always claiming.
Now this doesn't mean that all the other teachers were incompetent. I just feel that as individuals they offered very little that could not be had elsewhere. I remember in eleventh grade I skipped school for a day to read a Stephen Hawking book (Brief History of the Universe). What I want out of a teacher is an experience and a lesson that I can't be getting somewhere else, or even by myself.
I will miss Cortland, but for very specific reasons. Raquette Lake, meetings with my writing teachers to workshop pieces, workshops in general, putting together the magazine. All good things. I won't miss attendance policies, bullshit busy work, bureaucrats, poorly ventilated buildings, or really anything else.
1 comment:
Felt much the same way about my education until I got to grad school. In grad school I had more opportunity to define my own work and was in a community of people who shared my interests. That was the difference.
I also share your skepticism about the heroic pedagogy narrative. But in the end, education is not about what some teacher gives you; it's about what you do with opportunities you get. Clearly not every class is a gem. But in the big picture you have to ask assess your own performance as a student.
In the end, the benefit (or lack thereof) your reaped from your education will only affect you.
For what it's worth. I've seen you grow into a strong writer, at least when you want to be. I know that when you're motivated, you can accomplish good things. You'll just have to figure out how to make use of those strenghs.
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