Friday, October 15, 2004
Some 25 years ago I had a friend who was "hyper". That is what his family said. He was hyper. He took some kind of medication to "mellow him out". When he didn't take his medication there was a marked difference in his behavior. When a parent encourages a behavior that induces attention, the behavior will most likely become exaggerated. So when my friend didn't take his medication he knew he was expected to become, less in control if you will. Gaining the attention of the adults being the goal, he won his battles most always. About 10 years ago I started playing around with the idea that the medications child psychiatrists were dishing out possessed mind controlling substances. The idea is that the med allows a mind to become more programmable. In the instance were focus is a problem, the med allows the instructor a greater window of opportunity for subliminal messages. Thus a well trained instructor can alter behavior to an otherwise "hostile" subject. Much like the great "1984" or "THX1138" subliminal messages being obvious in the movie are much less obvious when administered by professionals. My point being this; currently the machine is spinning stories about the drugs being prescribed to help children with what has come to be called attention deficit disorders. My theory of these meds is outlandish and "Orwellian". But, far from the facts I am not. These meds although for some may have been life saving, for the masses they were not.
I am the product of an idea called the Open Air Classroom. Four classrooms under one large roof, seperated by a wall with four more classrooms under one roof. The layout was 2 first and 2 second grade classes (four classrooms in all) in one HUGE room. A wall separated the third and fourth grade classes with another wall for the fifth and sixth. The teaching methods are best saved for another entry. To tie this to my point - Most children have focus issues...that is the way it is, go outside and look in your driveway because what you just read is written there.
I am the product of an idea called the Open Air Classroom. Four classrooms under one large roof, seperated by a wall with four more classrooms under one roof. The layout was 2 first and 2 second grade classes (four classrooms in all) in one HUGE room. A wall separated the third and fourth grade classes with another wall for the fifth and sixth. The teaching methods are best saved for another entry. To tie this to my point - Most children have focus issues...that is the way it is, go outside and look in your driveway because what you just read is written there.
