Creativity....

Or the bliding, startling, excessive, entirely avoidable, economy crippling, soul stifling, humour crushing, off-pissing, full of shit..

LACK there of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damnit. I, just this second, walked out of my 2nd grade class (it's finished- i didnt leave it or anything).

This school (and particularly this grade) amoung all others i've taught have a very, very distinct problem. From the first lines of this post you may understand what it is.

Now, when I set a task that is there to aid thinking, creativity and add a bit into the mix- only to be shot down...

My task was to make a telephone conversation between 3 people. I was shot down in the class by the teacher who said it would not be a good idea on acount of the fact that the conversation parts would not be shared equally.

Look- the teacher just came in now to say we fucked up anway- cause we hadnt taught the previous lesson (the one that came before it- hence the lack of response....but still- they could do it.)

Anywho- back to the moaning. As I said- this school in general suffers from a severe lack of creativity. It's reflective in their everyday conversation and of course in their art. If you can call it that.

So, understandably, when I want to do something that will engage the students and get them to do more than plug in and rinse and repeat. GRrrr.

My mate Ned did a talk recently on American vs. Japanese schooling. Now, the fundamental point he made which couldn't be more accurate is this:

Japanese schools teach kids what to do. What to answer, what to say, what to plug in.
American (everywhere else actually) schools teach kids what to answer and WHY !

Why is the least asked question in Japan. NO-ONE will ask it. Very, very distressing. I can't believe that this country is still functioning in a first world capacity I really can't.

Gantz btw. Random insert- but strangely related. I saw an episode last night. The first one. Its an anime- reasonably new- but OH MY WORD. What unbelievable cultural insight and critique. There may be hope. Four thumbs up. Check it out.