Maybe We Should Go Back

FAFO= fuck around, find out

I feel like I haven't journaled in forever, but I just have to get some things off my chest.

As a teacher, I am very interested in the science behind learning, what drives critical thinking, why some "get it" and others simply do not, why some can keep working hard, practicing, going on despite a lack of obvious progress while others immediately give up when they don't see desired results. These are the things that drive my career. I have theories, and there can be many underlying factors, some of which I'm aware of, others I have no idea about, in each student's life.

This recent election was not about politics. It wasn't even (all) about hate. This election was about education, and the lack of it, even the disdain for it that is uniquely American. Is it comforting that "only" half of the country voted for Trump? No. That's not comforting. That means HALF of us lack even the most basic critical thinking skills to live a normal, safe life in which we know what is good for us individually and collectively and seek after it while avoiding things that will actively harm us. The minute we can't tell the difference between what's going to hurt us vs. what's going to help us, that's when it's scary, and that's where we are.

Okay, fine, maybe it's not half. Some voted for Trump because they're filled with hate toward one group or another and Trump promised to hurt the group of people they hate. I could see that being 20 percent of the country, easily, especially these days (as disgusting as that is, we have to face this reality). So let's say it's 30 percent that just lack critical thinking skills. That's still a FUCK TON of people who are slipping through the cracks of learning for whatever reason! And that's HUGE! It should be closer to >5 percent in a first world nation, as it was during the zenith of our power as a country (I'd say 1940's-1990's). It's not lost on me that the cognitive decline began when standardized testing started being enforced. Every teacher knows it. I can't think of a single teacher I have ever met who thinks those tests are helping things. Now, why the DOE can't seem to grasp this simple fact, I don't know (but bet your ass I have some dystopian theories!), but that's a whole other rant.

What inspired this entry was hearing about a story in Alabama. Because of Trump and (for reasons completely lost on me) ELON MUSK of all motherfucking people, slashing "wasteful government spending," countless people in Alabama now have to pay 100 dollars more on their electric bills each month. Up until now, they were getting a federal grant that offset that charge. Alabama, a poverty stricken state, overwhelmingly voted for Trump, believed every single word he said, which of course was all blatant lies. This time they didn't even need to do any research! They had his last term as proof, but they still couldn't put the pieces together! And now they're in FAFO mode crying on TikTok about it. It's not just them either. I've seen countless montages of Trump voters regretting their vote, even as soon as his first week in office when it became clear they'd screwed themselves. It's tempting to say "told you so," and maybe I would if the only people being hurt by this were people who voted for this asshole, but no. We ALL have to suffer now, and as a teacher I feel like I have some small influence over this kind of thing ever happening again.

My own kids and my students know that I'm a big fan of natural consequences, and I will utilize the hell out of them every chance I get. You tried to balance your chair on two legs and now you fell over and hurt/embarrassed yourself in front of the class? Much more effective than me telling you to cut it out or assigning a detention! You climbed up something I told you not to and now you fell and hurt your knee? Life has done the parenting for me! There is nothing that I could do to you as a punishment that hurts quite as much as life biting you in the ass for your own stupid choices, and these are the bitterest lessons we can learn, the ones that stick forever and change our behavior.

In this case though, we are ALL facing the consequences even though we didn't do the deed, and that sucks. This is when FAFO ceases to be fair. I knew what Trump was! I knew what he would do! That's why I didn't vote for him. But because you did, now I'm stuck in the same FAFO hole you're in, facing the consequences that should rightfully only belong to you. Do I want anyone to suffer? No! I really don't. I don't take gleeful pleasure in what's happening in Alabama to those people. I know none of them wanted this either or can afford that extra charge. I don't take any pleasure in the suffering of others and never will. But because this is an "all of us" problem now, all of us need to do something about it.

Even fixing education is not an immediate solution to this problem. It will likely take generations to get us back to some semblance of national intelligence, and in the meantime things will get worse. BUT each and every one of us who has kids of our own or interacts with kids in any way needs to make a REAL effort to pound critical thinking skills into their skulls. Seriously. It should be in every conversation you have with a child. It's the only way forward from here! Encourage them to ask, "Why is that?" Make them figure it out on their own. Make them do the hard work of thinking without the assistance of a device. They CAN, and they WILL, if you make it so. Wake up to the numbing of your own mind. It's intentional. Hell yes it is. Look where it's gotten people like Trump! Oh yes, our national cognitive decline has indeed been very intentional. Stupid people are easy to control, easy to dominate, easy to crush. Don't be one of them, and don't let the children in your life become one of them.