Just A Thought, But Hear Me Out
Maybe the racially neurotic should not be teaching children.
Say, the kinds of people who insist that maintaining discipline in class and ejecting those who seriously misbehave – thereby enabling the rest of the class to have some chance of learning something – is merely “upholding white supremacy,” and so, by implication, very, very bad. The kinds of people who, when their own words are quoted verbatim and they consequently encounter pushback, seemingly for the first time, complain about the stress of being disagreed with.
As we’ve seen many times, when said neuroticism is made modish, statusful, and an institutional obligation, the practical results are not entirely inspiring. With six experiments in racial immunity from discipline, in six different cities, resulting in six surges in violent classroom assaults, up to and including actual riots. And with apologists for the policies doubling-down and subsequently claiming that “African-American boys” are more “physical” and “demonstrative,” and so punching teachers in the face, and groping them, and setting other students’ hair on fire, is how those students “engage in learning.”
And when educators have practised such dishonesties and have learned to perform the required mental contortions, the results can be quite eye-widening. We might, for instance, turn to Dr Albert Stabler, an assistant professor at Appalachian State University, whose thoughts are much aligned with those of our TikTok teacher linked above.
Writing in The Journal of Social Theory in Art Education, Dr Stabler confessed his innate wrongness – “I am a white teacher” – before disdaining the “white feelings” of fellow educators who objected to being punched and humiliated with increasing frequency, and with something close to impunity. Among them, our woke educator’s immediate predecessor, a female art teacher whose hair was forcibly cut by a black student. These objections were denounced by Dr Stabler as constituting “white supremacist violence,” while the actual violence – the punching and cutting and so forth – was waved aside as a display of the students’ “cultural knowledge” and “kinetic” creativity.
Not, I think, a happy trajectory.
Update, via the comments:
Regarding Dr Stabler and his peers, and their merry mental dance, Mike says, not unreasonably,
These people aren’t just pathetic, they’re twisted.
Well, pathologically unrealistic, certainly. The term that comes to mind is pretentious degeneracy. Again, the kinds of people to whom one probably shouldn’t entrust one’s children.
The feats of mental contortion – and the sheer, practised dishonesty – are, it’s true, quite something. Oddly, it’s often the small details that give the game away. For instance, Dr Stabler’s airy dismissal of what was done to his predecessor – because she, the victim, was white and therefore, it seems, undeserving of redress. As if forcibly cutting a female teacher’s hair, leaving her in tears, wasn’t obviously done to dominate and humiliate her. As if a person’s willingness to gratuitously punch someone, or grope them, or gleefully violate them in some way, couldn’t possibly tell us quite a lot about that person’s character – and about how much, or little, their wellbeing should concern us.
Instead, these acts of (often quite ingenious) malice are construed as innocuous and forgivable, while objections to being assaulted and humiliated are framed as the real problem, the thing we must correct. All those “white emotions.” A term used repeatedly, disdainfully, and generally as a euphemism for physical safety and expectations of civilised behaviour. And so, the aggressors, being supposedly oppressed, must forever be indulged and with ever greater latitude. As if an imperviousness to normal consequences will do anything but inspire more of the same, only with more daring and inventive sociopathy.
As a blueprint for a Really Bad Situation – a demoralised and hopelessly dysfunctional environment – it’s hard to fault. A blueprint, one assumes, to be extended beyond the classroom. 
Not entirely unrelated I don’t think.
It’s from 2017, so not recent, but it does include some quite remarkable claims, some of which I suspect would be unlikely to bear up to even relatively cursory inspection.
And when educators have practised such dishonesties and have learned to perform the required mental contortions, the results can be quite eye-widening.
F*cking hell. Eyes widened.
Eyes widened.
The unrealism and moral perversity are things to behold. Imagine being inside that head, every day.
Imagine being inside that head, every day.
Giggity.
sprints towards exit
Giggity.
And so, we’ve arrived at a situation in which a great many of the people entrusted with the education of children seem profoundly ill-suited to the task – among them, the chronically pretentious and the morally perverse – and they, if not the children, seem to be thriving and ascendant. Theirs is the worldview currently in fashion among their peers and employers.
It’s worth contrasting the above with the attitude (and the results) of, say, Katharine Birbalsingh.
and they, if not the children, seem to be thriving and ascendant.
That.
And so, we’ve arrived at a situation in which a great many of the people entrusted with the education of children seem profoundly ill-suited to the task – among them, the chronically pretentious and the morally perverse – and they, if not the children, seem to be thriving and ascendant. Theirs is the worldview currently in fashion among their peers and employers.
The Long March through the institutions: The left set out to infiltrate culturally influential professions such as teaching, social work, and journalism. And once established excluded those who disagreed. (My liberal alternate between denying that this has happened and saying that it is a very good thing.)
Correction: My liberal friends alternate…
That.
Well, it seems obvious that children are more likely to succeed in life if they have boundaries and order and responsibilities, and a reciprocal expectation of those things, rather than being handed pre-emptive, ready-made excuses for their own increasingly delinquent behaviour, and unilateral exemptions based on race from normal, very basic proprieties. And for children from homes where incompetence, disorder and selfishness are defining features, it scarcely seems less important.
Again, Ms Birbalsingh.
That this kind of thing should need saying, as if it were some shatteringly new development and previously unknown, is itself a little odd.
You need to discipline children at a young age, to stop hitting others and screaming, to say please and thank you. You never hit a child–they learn that violence is acceptable if you do. Poor families of all races have a tendency to no talk to their kids, not discipline them in this sense. The kids grow up wild. This is made much worse when there is no father present, as in 70% of black households. The effect on boys of no father is to make them unruly in the extreme when combined with other factors.
In middle class families you can observe parents giving intense attention to the children, affirming when they do something right (putting on a shoe), talking to them constantly, and repeating when they say a word. If you observe black families when out in public, no one is talking to the children. There are also no books in the home. This accounts, in my view, for a big part of the fall-behind in education.
Educators: Education methods that work are boring to teachers and not that rewarding, so they would rather do exciting (and easy) things like indoctrinating children in absurd wokeness. Lazy bastards.
Birbalsingh.: her critics would rather she just spend time railing against capitalism than teaching children. wow. Let’s attack what works for kids!!
Capitalism is the worst system ever, except for every other system that has been tried. These people don’t even know what the word means. If a kid uses his allowance to open a lemonade stand, that is capitalism. There is no conflict between capitalism and “community”. Do they seriously not understand that under communism there is still injustice, inequality, and brutality?
I highly recommend a new book How the World Became Rich.
Education methods that work are boring to teachers and not that rewarding, so they would rather do exciting (and easy) things like indoctrinating children in absurd wokeness.
This just arrived in my mailbox, as if on cue.
Antiracist math: with kids below the national average–note that this isn’t even a high bar. When we have reached the stage of culture where inter-racial dating and marriage is common, where POC are on every TV show and news show, where the best-selling movie in history (more or less) black panther had black main characters, where there is no red-lining, and where almost all the black disadvantage is self-inflicted (gang violence, divorce)–this is the moment where the Left wants to talk about racism 24/7/365 because it is their new religion and they have nothing else.
30 years ago there were items proclaiming that feminists were going to produce a “feminist math” which of course came to nothing because there can be no such thing. Now we see “anti-racist math” which of course means “instead of” math.
Education methods that work are boring to teachers
I’ve told this story before, but: I once knew a teacher who had rocketed to the top of her profession partly because she was exploiting the diversity hire thing (“there aren’t enough female principals!”) but also because she knew how to game the system. She would present papers every year at academic conferences, and she picked her topic by looking up whatever was hot ten years prior, picking a well-received paper and plagiarizing it. Because academic fads in pedagogy rotated roughly every ten years.
So you’ve got a school vice-principal openly admitting to academic fraud and that none of the faddish pedagogies used by schools make any difference. Or are never tested to see if they make any difference, po-tay-to, po-tah-to.
Daniel: it is worse than that. Pedagogies that do not work keep being used and those that have been tested and work (drills for example) are not used because teachers hate them. Fads rule.
Daniel: it is worse than that. Pedagogies that do not work keep being used and those that have been tested and work (drills for example) are not used because teachers hate them. Fads rule.
Children would be much better served if schools of education were abolished, an education degree was treated as a sign of incompetence, and teachers for reading and basic arithmetic were chosen by their ability to read and do math, their ability to explain and drill, and their ability to get along with children.
The kinds of people who, when their own words are quoted verbatim and they consequently encounter pushback, seemingly for the first time, complain about the stress of being disagreed with.
If there was ANY silver lining to the year-long (in places like CA) lockout of students from their schools and subjecting them to Zoom classes, it was that parents got a ringside seat at what was really going on in the classroom – and how much they were lied to by teachers.
Aside: back in the day a parent could drop into school, appear at the office then proceed to their child’s classroom and observe. Now you have to have been fingerprinted, background checked and make a specific appointment subject to teacher’s and principal’s discretion.
Now that school is starting, 100s of thousands of kids are “missing” from public schools. A lot of parents are scared to death of what is going to happen now that the cameras are turned off and teachers are arrogant enough to go on places like Tik-Tok and state out loud “fuck parents, we are going to still do what we want”. And that would include chasing the sane teachers OUT of the profession.
and teachers for reading and basic arithmetic were chosen by their ability to read and do math, their ability to explain and drill, and their ability to get along with children.
The sheer hysterical reaction of the educrats in Florida to De Santis’ program to have vets and first responders go in and teach (after passing basic competency in subject test) is something to behold. The appeals to credentialism are so shrill what they reveal is a true contempt for ANYONE – including parents – who would dare presume to teach their kid “See Jane run.” or “2+2=4” without possessing the proper education degree.
The appeals to credentialism are so shrill what they reveal is a true contempt for ANYONE – including parents – who would dare presume to teach their kid “See Jane run.” or “2+2=4” without possessing the proper education degree.
One of Ms, er, Randipandi’s followers tells us it’s an outrage that teachers are being “told they’re wrong by people with zero education and training in that field/topic.” In this case, the field of propagating obnoxious and destructive racial neuroticism.
“We didn’t choose to be treated the way that we are being treated,” says our intersectional educator, almost choking back tears. You see, when the TikTok videos you’ve been making, while fishing for approval from other educators, reach a wider audience, including parents – and including parents of minority children – and that wider audience doesn’t agree with your pernicious flimflam, then it’s all just so upsetting.
Speaking of neurotics:
Annnd … the rest of the story …
Annnd … the rest of the story
For many years it was thought that Borderline Personality Disorder had a genetic component, since so many women with BPD had children who also presented with BPD symptoms.
Proving once again that society will do just about anything to avoid connecting the obvious dots.
“My spouse and I are also transgender”
Well colour me shocked. At best we have a bloke who thinks he’s a Sheila and a Sheila who thinks she’s a bloke. Chances are it’s a whole lot weirder.
Yet thanks to the fruition of their 10 year project they are going to be very very rich.
Asylum seeker:
https://mobile.twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1562197393159778304
You never hit a child–they learn that violence is acceptable if you do.
No. They learn, directly and in no uncertain terms, that what they just did, which itself may include violence, is not acceptable. While corporal punishment should be a last resort, in certain circumstances it is a necessary tool that should not easily be dismissed by civilized people.
Darleen, I just heard Al Carvalho on NPR. Superintendent of LA Unified School District, largest in the US. Fretting about a drop of 10% (?) in enrollment for this year. He offered no speculation about possible causes, just said his people were out beating the bushes to “encourage” kids to come back. Also no speculation about where they might have gone. The NPR interviewer was similarly incurious.
And when educators have practised such dishonesties and have learned to perform the required mental contortions, the results can be quite eye-widening. We might, for instance, turn to Dr Albert Stabler,
These people aren’t just pathetic they’re twisted.
These people aren’t just pathetic, they’re twisted.
Well, pathologically unrealistic, certainly. The term that comes to mind is pretentious degeneracy. Again, the kinds of people to whom one probably shouldn’t entrust one’s children.
The feats of mental contortion – and the sheer, practised dishonesty – are, it’s true, quite something. Oddly, it’s often the small details that give the game away. For instance, Dr Stabler’s airy dismissal of what was done to his immediate predecessor – because she, the victim, was white and therefore, it seems, undeserving of redress. As if forcibly cutting a female teacher’s hair, leaving her in tears, wasn’t obviously done to dominate and humiliate her. As if a person’s willingness to gratuitously punch someone, or grope them, or gleefully violate them in some way, couldn’t possibly tell us quite a lot about that person’s character – and about how much, or little, their wellbeing should concern us.
Instead, these acts of (often quite ingenious) malice are construed as innocuous and forgivable, while objections to being assaulted and humiliated are framed as the real problem, the thing we must correct. All those “white emotions.” A term used repeatedly, disdainfully, and generally as a euphemism for physical safety and expectations of civilised behaviour. And so, the aggressors, being supposedly oppressed, must forever be indulged and with ever greater latitude. As if an imperviousness to normal consequences will do anything but inspire more of the same, only with more daring and inventive sociopathy.
As a blueprint for a Really Bad Situation – a demoralised and hopelessly dysfunctional environment – it’s hard to fault. A blueprint, one assumes, to be extended beyond the classroom.
You never hit a child–they learn that violence is acceptable if you do.
Do you perceive a difference between “hit” and “spank”?
Do you believe that violence is never acceptable?
Ah, @WTP beat me to the underlying issue.
Not entirely unrelated.
Not entirely unrelated.
Holy cow!
Not entirely unrelated.
The enemy declares itself. As Instapundit often quips, “Maybe letting the enemies of our civilisation teach our children was a mistake.”
As a blueprint for a Really Bad Situation – a demoralised and hopelessly dysfunctional environment – it’s hard to fault.
The end point of that Really Bad Situation is societal collapse, replaced by anarchy or thugocracy, both of which feature nightmarish levels of violence, terror, and poverty.
As a blueprint for a Really Bad Situation – a demoralised and hopelessly dysfunctional environment – it’s hard to fault. A blueprint, one assumes, to be extended beyond the classroom.
That.
…the actual violence – the punching and cutting and so forth – was waved aside as a display of the students’ “cultural knowledge” and “kinetic” creativity.
Typical of the Devout, he really does see black people as monkeys performing in his own self-flattering circus.
Typical of the Devout, he really does see black people as monkeys performing in his own self-flattering circus.
It’s not unheard of among the type. And he is very much of a type.
Holy cow!
The full article for them as are interested.
I flirted with going into teaching after leaving the Service and still follow a portion of UK EduTwitter. There is a somewhat reassuring trend of people looking at evidence of whatf works rather than just what feels good – the ResearchEd conferences a particular example – but it’s by no means universal and seems actively opposed by higher ups in the ghastly NEU and the hollow Chartered College of Teaching. Gove’s Blob is alive and fighting.
My spouse and I are also transgender,”
So, “nuts”. As in whackerdoodle. Poor kid.
Spank or hit: of course spanking is less bad, but we did just fine raising 3 without either, ever. But in poor minority households, it is hitting, as in beating, that is common. If you don’t think that being beat desensitizes you and makes you more out of control, you need a timeout.
One of the fundamental mistakes we have made was to tolerate leftists.
One of the fundamental mistakes we have made was to tolerate leftists.
“You’re not hearing me,” says she.
Then, as if the level of farce weren’t quite sufficient, “Dangerous driver!” And a tinkling bell.
Frankly, I’m surprised these narcissistic little bitches don’t get beaten insensible then run over repeatedly.
Frankly, I’m surprised these narcissistic little bitches don’t get beaten insensible then run over repeatedly.
Undoubtedly they morally deserve it, but the Ruling Class finds them very useful.
Undoubtedly they morally deserve it,
Well, I can’t see from the clip what their purpose is, i.e., why they’re blocking traffic and refusing to let the driver get home, even slowly. Except, of course, accompanied and on foot. Is it a protest, or a permitted event of some kind, or some combination of the two?
Despite the fact that his job apparently keeps him on the road for 7 days the driver still chooses to live in Portland.
It’s not inconceivable that he votes Democrat. This was the day the madness finally affected him personally and he’s pissed about it.
He’s going to be really really pissed once the Karen’s on bikes publish his address online for their black-clad (and 100% immune from prosecution) enforcers.
Holy cow!
If the school and parents were even slightly competent, those 4th and 5th graders would have been taught to read using phonics 4 years ago. Then the poor teachers could indulge their current fantasies, and cause a bunch of novel problems. Win-Win!
Parsing through the Time piece, it is heavy on emotion and slant, low on objectivity. Notably risible: teachers are ‘underpaid, nurturing souls’ -this left-leaning myth has been shown to be untrue in comparison of salaries. But, what are facts when the chosen in-group has a perfectly good narrative they prefer? As for the not punishing students, and I suspect it will always be ethnic minority students who go unpunished in the ludicrous female’s classes, what better way to begin the expectation of committing crimes with no punishment?
Phonics: my parents taught me to read using phonics when I was 7. By 5th grade I was reading at 12th grade level. I taught my kids that way and they were likewise so far ahead. It baffles me that teachers hate it.
Phonics: my parents taught me to read using phonics when I was 7…
My grandmother drilled me and my sister using phonics and traditional methods of teaching arithmetic. My grade school was already playing with whole language and the New Math, but fortunately my grandmother coached me and my sister using phonics and traditional methods of teaching arithmetic.
…It baffles me that teachers hate it.
It’s boring. No exciting theories to study and apply. And worst of all, anyone can teach children using phonics.