This is a reply to many of the concerns expressed above.
This method is one method that works for one teacher and possibly a percentage of others, but is not the end-all and be-all solution to every combination of teacher, class and administration. But if it saves our future society from one killer, it may save 17 or 20 other people down the road, times however many teachers try something like this and succeed.
Some of the above comments appear to regard this as a program of social engineering, when in reality it is one math teacher’s approach to compassionate development of the potentials of all her pupils, not just the stars.
The article was authored by someone else, and possibly an editor created the “sell” headline, making it sound more like a program that would be imposed on every school, when in actuality it was a report on one person’s creative approach—perhaps with the idea of inspiring others to try something new, not compelling them to.
While elementary children generally don’t shoot up schools, they are the logical place to intervene if there are personality issues that can be helped by gentle methods. By the time kids are older teens who might do the shooting, they are often too far down the road to be helped by the ministrations of a teacher.
I used a similar method when I taught older adolescents, and can attest I was able to help two in particular, and possibly more, who were about to go off their rails (not necessarily into shooting up the school; but there are many ways to ruin or end one’s productive life).
And also to answer several posts’ concerns, there is a difference in affect and output between introverts vs at-risk-because-neglected children, and one would certainly hope any teacher who is experienced would recognize this. I am slightly Aspie and was handled brilliantly by a succession of middle-school and high school teachers before the current trend of over regimentation in teaching. They set me up for what would later be a productive career by finding the right activities to bring out my best skills, in ways that were not available at home.
Wise words.
Good post. I reply only because the idea has merit and you are correct that it does not reach everyone. It is part of the tool kit that every teacher should have. ( At least the good ones.)
Good post. I reply only because the idea has merit and you are correct that it does not reach everyone. It is part of the tool kit that every teacher should have. ( At least the good ones.)