Anyone who’s taught for more than a couple of years probably has a bank of stories about their kids, especially the ones at the top and bottom of the class.
But how would you like to have been a teacher for this guy?
Controversial documentary filmmaker Michael Moore began studying at a seminary in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, as an eighth grader in 1967. Brought up a devout Catholic, Moore aspired to a career as a priest, but he left the seminary the next year for thoroughly secular reasons. When the Detroit Tigers made it to the World Series in 1968, the seminary refused to let him watch the games–so he quit. Before his successful filmmaking career, in fact, Moore was something of a serial dropout. He dropped out of the University of Michigan because he arrived at school one morning and couldn’t find a parking place, and he once got a job at an automobile factory in Flint–but called in sick on his first day and never returned.
Obviously, it was pretty clear early in his life that Michael Moore was never going to be the classic ideal of a student.
But we have many others in our schools just like him. Kids who can learn to express themselves very well in media other than paper and pencil (and bubble sheets).
Hopefully, they can hook up with teachers who can help them do that. Or can stumble their way into a job that fits their talents.
Like being a rabble-rousing gadfly. :-)
We could use some more rabble-rousing gadflies!
I’d read that blog post and enjoyed it without thinking about it as a teacher. I’m glad you shared your thinking.