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is at an unprecedented level,
forts than adequate academic achievement
when children are bearing children with
and, second, that we will not achieve even
author of The Challenge to Care in Schools
little knowledge of how to care for them,
(Teachers College Press, 1992).
that meager success unless our children
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believe that they themselves are cared for caring, competent, loving, and lovable peo
and learn to care for others.
ple is not anti-intellectual. Rather, it dem
There is much to be gained, both ac onstrates respect for the full range of hu
ademically and humanly, by including man talents. Not all human beings are
themes of care in our curriculum. First, good at or interested in mathematics, sci
such inclusion may well expand our stu
ence, or British literature. But all humans
dents' cultural literacy. For example, as we can be helped to lead lives of deep con
discuss in math classes the attempts of cern for others, for the natural world and
great mathematicians to prove the exis its creatures, and for the preservation of
tence of God or to reconcile a God who the human-made world. They can be led
is all good with the reality of evil in the to develop the skills and knowledge nec
world, students will hear names, ideas, and essary to make positive contributions, re
words that are not part of the standard cur
choose.
love.2
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There is a
school?
real danger of
intrusiveness and
lack of respect in
methods that fail
to recognize the
vulnerability of
students.
females?
ous stories.
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For example, if I were teaching high children into tasks for specially designat
school mathematics today, I would use ed experts contributes to the fragmenta
religious/existential questions as a per tion of life in schools.
mathematicians are filled with accounts experts are unnecessary, nor do I mean to
of their speculations on matters of God, suggest that some matters should not be
other dimensions, and the infinite - and reserved for parents or psychologists. But
our society has gone too far in compart
because these topics fascinate me. There
are so many wonderful stories to be told: mentalizing the care of its children. When
Descartes' proof of the existence of God, we ask whose job it is to teach children
Pascal's famous wager, Plato's world of how to care, an appropriate initial response
forms, Newton's attempt to verify Bibli
cal chronology, Leibnitz' detailed theod sal responsibility, we can then ask about
icy, current attempts to describe a divine the special contributions and limitations
domain in terms of metasystems, and mys of various individuals and groups.
tical speculations on the infinite.5 Some
of these stories can be told as rich "asides"
Supporting Structures
in five minutes or less. Others might oc
What kind of schools and teacher prep
cupy the better part of several class peri
aration are required, if themes of care are
ods.
to be taught effectively? First, and most
Other mathematics teachers might use
important, care must be taken seriously as
an interest in architecture and design, art,
music, or machinery as continuing themes
a major purpose of schools; that is, edu
in the domain of "caring for the human
cators must recognize that caring for stu
dents is fundamental in teaching and that
made world." Still others might introduce
the mathematics of living things. The pos
developing people with a strong capacity
sibilities are endless. In choosing and pur
for care is a major objective of responsi
pedagogy.
"You're a three-toed sloth, Aaron. Math isn't going to be your best subject. "
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think carefully about schools as commu teachers together for several years sup
nities and about what might be lost as we ports caring in two essential ways: it pro
pursued a curriculum-driven ideal.
vides time for the development of caring
Today many educators are calling for relations, and it makes teaching themes of
smaller schools and more family-like care more feasible. When trust has been
groupings. These are good proposals, but established, teacher and students can dis
teachers, parents, and students should be cuss matters that would be hard for a group
engaged in continuing discussion about of strangers to approach, and classmates
what they are trying to achieve through learn to support one another in sensitive
the new arrangements. For example, if test situations.
scores do not immediately rise, partici
The structural changes suggested here
pants should be courageous in explaining are not expensive. If a high school teacher
that test scores were not the main object must teach five classes a day, it costs no
of the changes. Most of us who argue for more for three of these classes to be com
caring in schools are intuitively quite sure posed of continuing students than for all
that children in such settings will in fact five classes to comprise new students
become more competent learners. But, i.e., strangers. The recommended changes
if they cannot prove their academic com come directly out of a clear-headed as
petence in a prescribed period of time, sessment of our major aims and purpos
should we give up on caring and on teach es. We failed to suggest them earlier be
ing them to care? That would be foolish. cause we had other, too limited, goals in
There is more to life and learning than the mind.
test scores.
changes sound easy, and I do believe that
In addition to steadfastness of purpose, they are easily made. But the curricular
schools must consider continuity of peo and pedagogical changes that are required
ple and place. If we are concerned with may be more difficult. High school text
caring and community, then we must make books rarely contain the kinds of supple
it possible for students and teachers to mentary material I have described, and
teachers are not formally prepared to in
tual trust can develop and students can corporate such material. Too often, even
feel a sense of belonging in their "school the people we regard as strongly prepared
home."7
in a liberal arts major are unprepared to
More than one scheme of organization
discuss the history of their subject, its re
lation to other subjects, the biographies
can satisfy the need for continuity. Ele
stay together for several years so that mu
er.
Press, 1990). K
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