You’ll have read for today James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers.” Take 10-20 minutes and respond to the following questions as a comment on this post:
- What is Baldwin saying in the quote below? What do you think he means when he says “the world is larger?”
I would try to make [the student] know that just as American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it, so is the world larger, more daring, more beautiful and more terrible, but principally larger – and that it belongs to him. I would teach him that he doesn’t have to be bound by the expediencies of any given administration, any given policy, any given morality; that he has the right and the necessity to examine everything”?
- What do you think you have the “necessity” to examine, or the obligation to learn more about? Why? Alternatively, what do you wish had been taught to you in school that wasn’t? Why do you want to know about these topics?
What I thought James Baldwin meant by “the world is bigger” is that there would always be something new to learn. I think I have the necessity to examine actual American history since we need to know how and why are country came to be
Baldwin is trying to express that we only get taught what the board of education wants us to learn. However there is a whole world out there that we don’t know much about because we only get taught the basics in school. I feel like most “brilliant” people in life don’t have much common sense, and I blame that on school. If they had a mixture of education and experiences in the real world then our next generation of kids will have such an easier time. Jobs look at your skill, however you have to acquire that job with your own perception of reality.
â—ŹI believe Baldwin is saying in the quote “the world is larger” that the world is full with a multitude of possibilites, there is so much happening and history is made everyday
●I believe we have the “necessity” to examine, or the obligation to learn more about the importance of those around us. What we can do to aid those around us that require assistance and the effect our surroundings have on us and those in need, how does our environment impact them, how does our goverment handle it what do they say what have they done, how can the reasources we have be better put to use to improve these issues or future ones.
●What I wish had been taught to you in school that wasn’t was personal finance subjects like credit card , the importance of interest, retirement and possibly first aid
1)When he says the world is larger , I think he means more opportunity
2)It means to experience everything while you can because who wouldn’t . I wish my school taught me financially stuff so I can know for future. I wanted to learn this because this will help me in the future.
Baldwin is basically saying that the student should look around and question everything the education system forces on that student. Not only the school system but also the world around him, since Baldwin states “ANY administration, policy, and morality.”
You have the necessity to examine anything that puts you at risk. Such as a suspicious email telling you, you have an inheritance of $10,000. Because you could be falling into a trap.
I can’t really think of anything but I wish they taught me how to cook. That would be great for obvious reasons.