A classroom is like a little society (as no doubt many others have observed). It is a closed information environment, especially if external media are banned and if the students don't rotate teacher to teacher. It is (as the title of this blog suggests) something that can come to resemble a cult. Therein lies its strength - and its danger. Take this post about creating, supporting and recognizing a set of values over the course of a year. This can be a powerful tool for conditioning students - but we need to understand that it's a form of conditioning, and not a learning or cognitive exercise. Are the underlying values freely chosen by the student? No. Is there room for an alternative set of values? No. This is why education has become so politicized in some societies, and why it's so important to push back against this.
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