9486 in the collection
Puppies, Bluebirds, and Trained Seals
Here is a little parable with a big point.
By L. Jean Woods
Once there was a woman who had a lively playful puppy. As soon it was time to send him to school, the woman wanted him to have the very best education. She looked to where she was told that all the good parents were sending their children.
At the school she noticed bright smiles and cheery decorations. All the teachers were extremely confident. They promised that her puppy would exceed standards. "All our students learn to soar gracefully in the sky, to dive and swim into the deep blue sea."
The mother was concerned, "My puppy can track far off smells, run for miles, he knows lots of funny tricks and is the most loving puppy in the world…but I'm not sure he will be able to soar gracefully or dive in the ocean."
The teachers smiled confidently and reassured her, "It's ok, we train puppies, too." Despite the question on the mother’s face they continued, "Our Blue Ribbon Flying Monkeys as well as our Award winning Trained Seals are evidence of our excellent track record for meeting special needs. Your puppy will be just as successful."
The woman wanted to believe, so she enrolled her precious puppy for the next opening. Her cute rambunctious little guy lit out the door without a single glance back. It gave his mother hope.
Over the next several weeks, the formerly playful puppy began to bring home lots of homework and graded assignments. Many of the pages were covered with ink. The well meaning teachers offered encouragement with correction but everyone knows that puppies only hear “BAD DOG” when they make a mistake. Soon he began to have accidents and he had a hard time listening at home. Sadly the puppy had little time to practice using his superior tracking skills, to run for miles, or to learn any new tricks.
The teachers called one day to speak with the puppy’s mother. "We are concerned," they said. Your child is not meeting standards for aerodynamics or SCUBA training and we think he may need to see the psychologist about his fear of heights." But they assured her they would take all steps to be certain that the puppy would meet the standards. "Every student learns to soar gracefully in the sky, to dive and swim in the deep blue sea."
It was not much longer until the puppy began to exhibit some social problems. "All the Bluejays, Angelfish, and even some of the Flying Monkeys are calling me names."
His mother tried to offer a solution, "Why don't you show them one of your great tricks?"
The puppy started to cry, "Mom, everyone knows fetching is for dummies. All the stupid dogs and parrots with clipped wings have to spend an hour a day in remedial retrieval"
Now the mother was outraged. Her puppy had been fetching more toys, faster and more accurately than any other child she knew. Why did he need a remedial class in something he was clearly able to do?
When she called the school, the reasons she was given did not offer any solace. "Well dear, when we feel certain students may not be suited to our rigorous highly advanced level, we consider alternate placement into an appropriate occupational training program."
"Do you mean you have decided to train my puppy to become a dog after all?"
"Oh my, No," our remedial programs are designed to help your puppy catch up to his peers very quickly. He will still need to meet our high standards in order to graduate.
The puppy spent many hours each day doing the same repetitive tasks. His love for fetch was soon replaced by loathing. He was timed and assessed on a regular basis. Every few weeks a glowing report was sent home to report puppy's wonderful progress. The puppy showed little interest in his beloved toys. The activities that once gave him joy were sadly missing though they had once been such a source of his mother's pride. Eventually the puppy began to dislike anything associated with school or learning.
Mother asked her puppy to begin helping her tell a make-believe story. They worked together and in their story created a pretend world where all children were valued and individual differences were celebrated. They imagined schools that were safe places where learning could be risked. In this make-believe land children were allowed to think, ask questions, and dream of things that had never been. The mother did not promise the puppy that if they wished hard enough, someday things might get better, but she said, at least the time would pass more quickly.
— L. Jean Woods
2008-05-01
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
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