Last week, I helped teach an art class at a school in the Bos en Lommer. The kids were ten years old and apparently they were considered the worst class in the school. The teacher had quit and they had hired a special unit to come in, gain control back of the class for a few months, and then return the class to a regular teacher. This was our setting for a class in drawing faces. The teacher I worked with underestimated how much structure and direction this age group needs, and I was not sure what we were allowed to do in terms of discipline since the regular teacher was present for the lesson.

I was shocked at the lack of respect the children had for adults, each other and the environment as a whole, as well as the lack of respect the adults had for the kids. Some students would get up and leave the room, others would draw whatever they wanted. One student, “Brian” drew a gangbanger smoking a joint holding a pistol and a knife. The regular teacher thought it was funny.

It seemed the mode of dealing was punitive, and based on fear, so, as soon as the teacher left, the students were doing whatever they wanted, unless of course we could guide them to do what we were asked to do, art-making. A class based on respect would still function as a class when the teacher was gone as the children would be treated with respect and would value this environment.

This experience showed me how important it is to have adults who demonstrate respect, as well as have a clear understanding of appropriate boundaries and can articulate clear directions and to not shy away from conflict but use it as a learning experience. It also showed me the climate of the school and what the children experience and that will help us shape Reckoning initiatives as we collaborate with others in the city.