The Dilemma of Gideon’s Knot
“Cut it? Or figure it out?” Corryn asks the schoolteacher about Seneca’s presentation on Gordian’s Knot. Heather, the schoolteacher, answers that taking a side is not part of the student’s assignment. Johnna Adams expresses the issue surrounding the role of our education system versus parenting in a child’s moral upbringing. While Heather believes that the moral complexity of Gordian’s Knot is not in the wheelhouse of a fifth graders comprehension, Adams shows that her students are inclined to make bold moral choices whether or not they understand the social weight of the circumstance. Gideon presents a story that places accusations on Jake, and Seneca firmly believes and supports him. Suspension and bullying ensue, and suicide is the result. Placing blame on a singular character is figuratively cutting Adams’ story short. Instead, the audience must figure out Gideon’s Knot by critically listen to two teachers argue about the problem with our current education system. Â
Teachers have a tough job in educating the next generation of politicians, service workers, marketers, artists, teachers, accountants, and every other occupancy. Corryn is a professor at a university and Heather is a teacher at an elementary school. While both share a profession with its core value of competent education, the age range of their students vary their practices. Elementary school teachers take specific courses about childhood development and child psychology that begs them to pace out their lesson plans to work alongside the development of a child’s brain. College professors use their knowledge of higher education leadership and adult psychology to focus on integrating what students already know. Corryn comes from a place where she sees the long-lasting impact of elementary education on her young adult brains. She brings her opinion of primary education reflecting a communist nature into Heather’s classroom from the get-go. Heather wants Corryn to wait until the principal has arrived because of her fear of legal repercussions, but Corryn is focused on just having a conversation- teacher to teacher. It impressed me at first to see how Corryn was able to use her perspective as a mother objectively before relating to Heather as someone of the same profession. As the dialogue continued, and Gideon’s story is revealed, I realized how much the role of parenting and educating intertwine in the role of a teacher. Teachers see a different side of a student compared to how the student might act at home. It is incredibly difficult for Heather and Corryn to pin their perspectives against each other because of this. I felt that Heather’s actions reflected a sense of fear of how to properly protect her students’ innocence, but her fearful actions caused more damage than what she was protecting her kids against. Ultimately, there was a parenting opportunity that was missed out on because of the immediate suspension. Corryn could have understood how her nightly readings with Gideon had impacted his reading, and discussed the inspiration of his work. Even a, “Why did you write this about Jake?” could have sufficed on Heather’s end. No one wants their kid to imagine abuse like that, but in reality, some kids experience that kind of abuse without knowing that it is abuse. That is why it is so important to meet students like Gideon halfway, and talk to them about what is happening in their life.
(A quick anecdote) I had a classmate in my freshman acting class express her indifference in an assignment because she hasn’t been kissed/experienced, thus making the reality harder for her to live in. Our acting professor expressed that, “You are not innocent, you are just inexperienced,” to them. While this might sound like a wild, off-the-cuff assertion, I understood what my professor was trying to convey. While many of us vary in experience when it comes to physical or sexual maturation, we certainly have been exposed enough to it to activate our imaginations. Kids are curious; they ask their parents where babies come from, they understand what words are inappropriate to use, they make decisions everyday. We see and hear things on TV, the internet, our friends, in books, and out in public. And a lot of professors and teachers understand this, like my acting professor. I wonder what this mindset would be like if this happened in a fifth grade classroom, however. There has to be a better way for schools to nurture a child’s creativity and imagination that doesn’t tip the scale for them. I have the most respect for the patience of teachers, especially those who teach elementary schools. It is a huge responsibility for people to take on, knowing they will be underpaid and underserved.Â
