The Schooled Mind

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The schooled mind is a consequence of imposed visions and definitions for the future. It crowds out the vision of the deschooled mind — the vision of the student left alone from imposed systems.

The schooled mind is simultaneously indefinite, while being the consequence of a limitedly definite systems.

The schooled mind is constricted in the options with which it operates. If options A, B, C, and D are all the ones on the test, then option E isn’t on the table.

The schooled mind is systematized and managed. English is a subject separate from Government, which is separate from Algebra, separate from Statistics, from Chemistry, History, Economics, Music, and from “the real world.”

The schooled mind is obsequious. It defers to power and to authority. It isn’t the role of the schooled student to speak up and speak out. It is the role of experts to imbue knowledge upon the not-yet-schooled.

The schooled mind is fragile. Even in classes designed to benefit from disorder and chaos, these are separate experiences from the schooled process. It is damaged by disorder.

The schooled mind is exogenously motivated. Grades, study halls, recess, gold stars are all incentives to do better on things from which the schooled student doesn’t inherently find meaning.

The schooled mind is indefinite. “Let’s get to the next level,” “let’s get an A on this next exam,” “if I just get into my top school, that’s what will be the goal here.” Any individual values it is motivated by are those values considered possible options within the schooled system. The ability to build a definite vision for the future is off the table unless the schooled student has an option to embrace the deschooled alternative for their own future and then choose schooling if that is necessary to reach their individual vision.

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