Some people are waiting for Superman and that's fine. (I have my own thoughts on why Clark Kent wouldn't choose to become a teacher) But for what it's worth, I hope Superman doesn't become a teacher. Here's why:
- Superman has x-ray vision, but he is unwilling to be even remotely transparent himself. I'm not suggesting that teachers bare all, but a complete lack of vulnerability prevents students from trusting a classroom leader.
- Superman is strong, but rarely gentle. The Flaming Lips ask the question, "Is it getting heavy to use a crane to crush a fly?" Perhaps kids need more strong men, but it seems even more powerful when a strong man can gently say, "I care about your pain. I care about your story."
- Superman is always composed, always honorable, always doing the right thing. But in the process, he doesn't get a chance to be humble and apologize. Perhaps he's perfect and maybe kids need perfection.
- Superman is too nice. My favorite teachers (Jesus, Socrates, my AP Government teacher) often broke social norms and used language that provoked thought rather than maintaining the status quo.
- Superman might be great preventing destruction, but he is rarely seen creating anything. Preservation can't be the bottom line.
- Superman saves the day, but in the process he doesn't allow the citizens to help. He doesn't come alongside them and say, "let's serve together." There's a touch of imperialism in flying down and fixing a mess without empowering people to get to the root of the issue.
For eight years, I've taught in a low-income school and I've noticed that kids don't want to be saved. They don't want to be someone's project. They don't want to exist in order to validate someone else's savior complex. They want to learn. They want to think deeply. Superman can't do that. Clark Kent, perhaps, but not Superman. However, I've met a ton of teachers who use quality strategies with students who society has written off as "underprivileged" and the results are way more impressive than a flying man in tights.
John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink. He recently finished two books, Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and Drawn Into Danger, a fictional memoir of a superhero. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer
John T. Spencer is a teacher in Phoenix, AZ who blogs at Education Rethink. He recently finished two books, Pencil Me In, an allegory for educational technology and Drawn Into Danger, a fictional memoir of a superhero. You can connect with him on Twitter @johntspencer