I have been saying since I was in high school in the late-90s/early-2000s that there’s isn’t enough being said and done about actually figuring out what about modern high school incites so much violence, and not just the deadly kind. All the energy goes into locking kids down more, controlling their lives, and doesn’t actually cure the disease.
In my fifteen years of office work, the worst I have encountered is a single shouting match between a developer and his boss. The developer started it, and ended up finding a new job within the week. Contrast that with my four years of high school where I was physically assaulted at least twice, and encountered fights almost weekly.
I didn’t have the luxury of consensual association with that institution. I couldn’t just leave if things took a turn. I think imposing so much inescapable structure can cause certain types of kids to lash-out like a trapped animal, because in an entirely literal sense they are. I certainly felt very trapped myself in a very real sense.
Having talked with teachers and administrators about this, they can’t seem to fathom what I am saying. I think it comes down to educational work having a self selection for people who thrive in such a structured environment. Many of them having never experienced anything else, going straight from college into teaching.
In my fifteen years of office work, the worst I have encountered is a single shouting match between a developer and his boss. The developer started it, and ended up finding a new job within the week. Contrast that with my four years of high school where I was physically assaulted at least twice, and encountered fights almost weekly.
I didn’t have the luxury of consensual association with that institution. I couldn’t just leave if things took a turn. I think imposing so much inescapable structure can cause certain types of kids to lash-out like a trapped animal, because in an entirely literal sense they are. I certainly felt very trapped myself in a very real sense.
Having talked with teachers and administrators about this, they can’t seem to fathom what I am saying. I think it comes down to educational work having a self selection for people who thrive in such a structured environment. Many of them having never experienced anything else, going straight from college into teaching.