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What to Look for in a Classroom: And Other Essays by Alfie Kohn Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA October 1998 $25.00, ISBN: 0-78794453X
We are not ashamed to admit that we are frightened. As students of education (Paul is a graduate student seeking certification and Dana is an assistant professor of educational studies) we have had opportunities to observe, develop, and experience life in classrooms in several northeastern Ohio districts. As parents (Paul's children are seven and twelve; Dana's daughter is two) what we see in a number of classrooms frightens us. We believe that many of the widely endorsed "best practices" in schools are not in the "best interest" of students. Our reading of the present education condition is not pretty. We, as educators and citizens, have conceded too much to the forces of the global economy and the back-to-basics morality.
It is not surprising, then, that we are attracted to Alfie Kohn's work. At a time when 20 percent of the population has 80 percent of the wealth (and this is increasing), when only 37 percent of the population votes, when at least 30 percent of the population does not have health insurance, and when the prison industry is booming, we refuse to accept the escalation of undemocratic practices that envelop and maim children in schools (see Shannon, 1999). Instead, we endorse environments that are based upon principles of trust, intrinsic inspiration and dignity, non manipulative aims, and social justice.
I (Paul) first read Kohn last year when I came across "Only for My Kid: How Privileged Parents Undermine School Reform" in Phi Delta Kappan. His honest and passionate criticism spurred me on to read "Punished by rewards" and "Beyond Discipline" which are the texts that are the basis for my educational philosophies and my opinions in this paper. "What to Look for in a Classroom: And Other Essays" is a collection of previously published articles which reveal Kohn's insights on a variety of educational issues. The topics explored are those that are avoided by legislators and unchallenged by educators. Whether he is discussing school uniforms or examining character education, Kohn goes beyond a superficial inspection of pedagogical issues to an exploration that lays bare the negative impact that certain adult choices have...