Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech:
I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
I love this speech.
OTOH, given how infrequently our undergradflakes follow our instructions, I'm having visions of "creative" responses to things like quizzes in my classes:
"Dear Professor Snarky, I am
enlightened. Unlike the sheeple seated beside me in class, I can see that this quiz on foundational vocabulary in our field is part of the
system. I refuse to be indoctrinated, to be a mere automaton--working to fulfill the aims of our nation-state, unquestioningly and unwaveringly obedient. To demonstrate my complex positionality in this educational matrix, I have written poetic lyrics to a song that foregrounds my view on the system. It is called, 'Everyone can suck it.' I am submitting it here as a creative alternative to today's quiz. P.S. As you can see, I excel at learning."
...Actually, I think I might really, really like that student, despite myself.
Bitter Valedictorian doesn't seem to realize a few things:
ReplyDeleteThose kids who were doodling are probably not going to become great artists. So what do they do now?
Those kids who did special interest reading were most likely reading YouTube comments and poorly written blogs. Is that really going to get them a good job?
Those kids writing lyrics and making music are probably not going to become the next American Idol. Music is a great hobby, but how many musicians are good enough to make a living at it?
If a smart student ONLY does schoolwork, and has no interests in doodling, non-school reading, or making music, s/he probably isn't as bright as everyone thinks.
A variety of interests and capacities (and experimentation with hobbies) seems to be a strong trend among all the smarties I know.
Sadly, though, they'll all end up at similar colleges, happy doodler et al. will drag the class IQ down because they are unprepared, and everyone leaves with the same degree, inflated grades, and BV won't get the chance to shine (let alone spread his/her wings and fly).
Wouldn't it be awesome if she was actually right about what her fellow students were getting up to?
ReplyDeleteIt's a very nice speech in principle. In practice, I think she'll look back in later years and be very thankful she didn't have this important realization earlier. As it is, she probably now has the basic skill set and work ethic to successfully tread whatever path she ends up choosing.
I've admitted it before: I'm probably not cynical enough to be an educator. I still oooh and aaah when I learn something new, and I dearly hope to be able to teach students who love to learn, too. But I *am* realistic enough to know that would only happen at the University of Utopia in Not-A-Chance-In-Hell-istan.
ReplyDeleteI don't *want* to be cynical and misanthropic, but term after term I'm told to "teach" students who can't even form a complete sentence, let alone find wonder in the process of learning. I hope this girl keeps her wonderment *and* her work ethic - she will be able to be anything she wants.
And I hope she's correct about her fellow students - I know there's a guy from my HS class that everyone (but me) thought would be a major musical star (I seriously thought he'd end up homeless if he didn't learn how to flip a burger). He's not a star - but he *is* getting paid to do gigs in small bars around the southeast, he *is* making enough to live on, he *is* recording his own music, and he *is* loving his life. He won't ever own a jet or sell out the Garden, but he's a success.
But then again, there's that student of mine who thinks your jugular vein is found in your kidney, and she wants to be a nurse. Why? Because it pays well. And she'll probably eventually get into nursing school and get her ADN. And her patients will be fucked...
This sucks - that speech made me hopeful for a few minutes, til I realized that the majority of people don't want to learn - they want the easiest path to the most amount of money... I need a drink...