Alien Shrimp & Other Everyday Occurances

According to Shrimpy lore, he dressed in a top hat & had a sense of style similar to Mr. Peanut. While very intelligent, he didn't understand modern human fashion trends.

Continued thoughts on Experience Deniers

I think one of the few things people agree upon these days is that our educational system is full of flaws. However, the opinions on how to fix it are too numerous to count. Everyone has experience attending school, therefore, they have the experience necessary to know how a school should work, right?

Wrong. 

​There is a lot that happens within a school that students and parents are unable to see. The same is true for any organization. Eating at a restaurant every day is very different that managing one. Until you are on the inside, a lot of systems and nuance are hidden. A lot judgements and complaints are a result of not understanding this.

​One memorable night, about nine or ten years ago, I witnessed this judgement in action. I was hanging out with a group of people I met with regularly. It is important to note that everyone in this group was highly educated. Lots of advanced degrees, mostly in the medical field. They are also strong advocates for education and addressing disparities.

That evening I told a story about my students and mentioned, Shrimpy, the 2 meter tall alien crustacean my students would occasionally explain earthly concepts to. I don't remember what story I was trying to tell, but I do know Shrimpy was incidental context. However, most of the group became fixated upon Shrimpy in a what-the-hell kind of way. They thought having seventh graders write letters to an alien was ridiculous and stupid. 

I was surprised at their intense reaction. Fanciful things like Shrimpy were a normal part of my day. Another member of the group, a man who taught fifth grade, agreed with me. When kids' imaginations are engaged, you go with it. They'll put a lot more effort into explaining a tricky concept to a fictitious alien than they will for a generic "support your answer."

Despite the support of my fellow educator, the majority of the group couldn't get past it. One person in particular was especially derisive as she kept repeating, "I just don't get it."

And they were absolutely right, they didn't get it. Despite the countless hours they'd spent in school, the had no concept of what it's like trying to capture the attention of a classroom full of students. As a result, something that was simple and commonplace for me as a teacher was ridiculed.

This incident in and of itself was minor. At the same time, it highlights a larger issue. They fell into the trap of I-don't-understand-this-therefore-it-must-be-wrong. Even when two educators explained that this seemingly silly method was common and useful, they couldn't let go of their initial indignation.

So, yeah, they didn't get it. And that's okay. It's not possible to understand all the nuances of a position you've never held. The problem was that they deemed Shrimpy as stupid and refused to consider the usefulness. Being well-schooled themselves, they assumed they knew everything that a learning environment involved. Their memories of school trumped my reality.

Ironically, Shrimpy was born while trying to address the exact same refusal-to-learn attitude in my science students.

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