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> Maybe they want their children to learn about cooperation and empathy instead of blindly accepting hierarchical power structures and divisions that emphasize

> Maybe they want their children to learn about cooperation and empathy instead of blindly accepting hierarchical power structures and divisions that emphasize the individual over community Okay, after weeks of this, they all agreed that now everyone owns the legos together. Which is ironic given that they had power over their legos. Then the teachers took it away. Then the teachers gave it back. It sounds like the lesson here is to blindly accept hierarchical powers. We have to take the teacher's version of events here. But as a parent, it seems equally likely the students learned how to be performative until the teachers were satisfied enough with what they heard to give them their toys back.

trs8080 5y ago
You should really read the article. A hierarchy formed where children were actively being regulated and excluded by other children. The teachers guided a conversation that allowed for everyone to participate equitably. Your last sentence says a lot. It's sad to expect your children to performatively participate in community but return to selfish behavior when it no longer benefits them.
- legitster 5y ago
  I did read the article. Did you? This wasn't one guided conversation - this was months of them. And the children were being recorded and their answers analyzed regularly. Even if I accepted the diagnosis in the premise, I do not want to take their word about their own results.
  - trs8080 5y ago
    > This wasn't one guided conversation - this was months of them. Yes, complex topics often require prolonged discussion. "Conversation" can imply an active exchange over the course of time. > And the children were being recorded and their answers analyzed regularly. If you had read the article, you would know that the initial conversation was recorded so the teachers could take notes. Taking notes and analyzing students' answers is literally part of the job description of a teacher. Teachers are not babysitters, they're educators.
fallingfrog 5y ago
Freedom is not when whoever is biggest and meanest gets whatever they want. Society’s gotta have rules, bud. In this case the rules were made by adults, because we’re talking about children.
mwcampbell 5y ago
I think I agree with what the teachers were trying to do, but I also would be more convinced that they had actually succeeded if they had discussed the situation and the rules without ever taking the toys away.
- trs8080 5y ago
  When dealing with children ages 5-9, it is sometimes important to remove an emotional catalyst in order to calmly reflect and have a productive conversation. The Legos were removed, a conversation occurred over several weeks, and the Legos were reintroduced when the conversation resolved.
  - mwcampbell 5y ago
    Still, it leaves the teachers open to criticisms like this one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30393372 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30393372 Maybe that matters more in a message board discussion like this one than it does to the actual people involved. Then again, getting buy-in from adults is necessary if a new approach to teaching is going to be replicated on a large scale.

trs8080 5y ago

You should really read the article. A hierarchy formed where children were actively being regulated and excluded by other children. The teachers guided a conversation that allowed for everyone to participate equitably. Your last sentence says a lot. It's sad to expect your children to performatively participate in community but return to selfish behavior when it no longer benefits them.

legitster 5y ago
I did read the article. Did you? This wasn't one guided conversation - this was months of them. And the children were being recorded and their answers analyzed regularly. Even if I accepted the diagnosis in the premise, I do not want to take their word about their own results.
- trs8080 5y ago
  > This wasn't one guided conversation - this was months of them. Yes, complex topics often require prolonged discussion. "Conversation" can imply an active exchange over the course of time. > And the children were being recorded and their answers analyzed regularly. If you had read the article, you would know that the initial conversation was recorded so the teachers could take notes. Taking notes and analyzing students' answers is literally part of the job description of a teacher. Teachers are not babysitters, they're educators.

fallingfrog 5y ago

Freedom is not when whoever is biggest and meanest gets whatever they want. Society’s gotta have rules, bud. In this case the rules were made by adults, because we’re talking about children.

mwcampbell 5y ago

I think I agree with what the teachers were trying to do, but I also would be more convinced that they had actually succeeded if they had discussed the situation and the rules without ever taking the toys away.

trs8080 5y ago
When dealing with children ages 5-9, it is sometimes important to remove an emotional catalyst in order to calmly reflect and have a productive conversation. The Legos were removed, a conversation occurred over several weeks, and the Legos were reintroduced when the conversation resolved.
- mwcampbell 5y ago
  Still, it leaves the teachers open to criticisms like this one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30393372 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30393372 Maybe that matters more in a message board discussion like this one than it does to the actual people involved. Then again, getting buy-in from adults is necessary if a new approach to teaching is going to be replicated on a large scale.