I think one of the largest factors in Americans producing less great literature and in general, artwork, is because we study only the best books, the best artwork. We are condemned to repeating the greatness of others before us, and leaving those who want to do something new to have to look between the pillars of established brilliance. We don't study the bad in order to see why it's bad and how we can eliminate what we see as bad from our own artisitic production, or at least not usually.
I think that's why I've got a good eye for directing stage productions. I've seen a bunch of shitty productions. I've been in a bunch more. I know what I DON'T want to do and then try everything else.
I think studying only great works limits the mind as to what is "quality". It sets out to define good and leaves bad for everything else. Since a line between good and bad has to be drawn, why not define bad and leave good open-ended? I feel like artworks, per capita, were of higher quality before our educational system stepped in. It seems that the good are a departure from the normal as opposed to a manifestation of the normal.
Like this book I'm reading. It's not good. I keep reading because there are flashes (think a VERY light electrical storm) of brilliance padded by pompous, unnecessary autobiography. The irony. Sometimes I feel like that could describe how I feel about this journal.
But the point is, as educational systems become more developed, we tend to look only to change the problems - "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But as everyone knows, there's always another way. And you don't know if it's better or not until you've tried it. So maybe it's time to look at every aspect of our own education with the same scrutiny that we use to look at the stated problems.
As to my current situation, the spirit of challenging assumptions is useful only on an individual level. I think the Mozambican system is too preoccupied with the basics - money, teachers, basic competencies, etc. - to worry about reworking the teaching of basic algebra. (Which, may I say in an oversized parenthetical statement inspired by my entry last night, was readily apparent when I asked for someone to demonstrate 25%. It was quite the challenge for my youngest and brightest students. Sometimes I think it would be fun to teach math, but also incredibly frustrating.)
I'm also frustrated by the lack of study skills, even on the part of the best students. Homework is rarely, if ever, done at home (the exception seems to be for the night English classes, where the students really have a vested interest). Students study for tests by simply memorizing the information and doing that fairly poorly.
I guess sometimes I get jaded.
Today I gave a double lesson to a turma that had one lesson the entire day before me, out of four that should have been given. Why am I so concerned about the quality of my lessons when I'm at least giving them?
I told the kids that I'm not going to be around later this week, and their reaction was along the lines of "Wow, finally!".
Peace
John
