'I Won't Learn from You': And Other Thoughts on Creative Maladjustment

Book Review- Ria CaldwellKohl, H. (1995). I won't learn from you: and other thoughts on creative maladjustment. New Press. Kohl is now known as the classic speaker on "not learning" or refusing to learn that results in certain students' inappropriate placement into special education programs and classrooms. Kohl begins by describing certain situations and conditions that he finds himself in, requiring him to re-evaluate what it is that our students need. Hope as he refers to as "hopemongering" is the title of one of his chapters where he cites examples of how he has had to instill or rekindle the flame of hope that students so desperately need at times. Kohl provides some examples of how a student who would be viewed as a discipline or behavior problem might in fact be practicing his "not learning" ability or "right to refuse" as I like to call it. Kohl addresses issues in education surrounding race, culture, economic, and linguistic differences that result in the diversity of each and every classroom in the U.S. He points out that the reasons for the amount of "dropout" teachers is exceeding the amount of "dropout" students and in order for this to change we need to adopt new ways of embracing these children who are often born into poverty. He emphasizes the importance of finding balance in order to achieve maximum effectiveness with our students. He indicates that the true art of teaching comes from being able to lead students to make discoveries that create their own meaning, purpose, learning and under-standing. Not "lecturing" them on the topic of equality but instead, facilitating their own critical thinking and encouraging them to find their own strengths and weaknesses and to explore their environments with a "new set of eyes." He also talks about fear of students, traditionally the fear that "white" teachers have of "black and latino" students, I would like to call this fear "culturephobia" or "colorphobia". I think every teacher can find a part of themselves in the numerous examples cited in the book and am glad that I was able to read the words of a man who has so much to offer the educational institutions that exist today.

Interested in maintaining the status quo? Then this book is not for you. Though evidence of Kohl's leftward leaning ideologies pervade much of the book - (while in his writing he commits some of the very biases he criticizes), his insights into purposeful and subconscious biases that our culture subjects us to are second to none. Interestingly, I find myself battling against many of the same issues as a young teacher in the 1990's that Kohl faced in the 1960's. Kohl's writing is the antithesis to the societal norm of, "My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with the facts!" For those unafraid to think critically, I heartily endorse the book. You never know where it may take you. Prepare to become a maladjusted mover and shaker!

The concept of not-learning something that could be learned is an interesting phenomenon. It is akin to not thinking about the punchline of a joke once you've already heard it. For students to consciously choose not to be a part of a debilitating society is at once revolutionary and reprehensible. This book not only helps us to understand why many of our children are where and who they must be, but also, why the teacher in each of us must do and say what we know to be right.

I loved the insight this author gives in his book about how to understand WHY children chose not to learn - what environments and circumstances can change the desire to learn certain things. I used to have a different philosophy about teaching "lazy, beligerent children" - but now I see that those preconceived ideas are not only unfair, but untrue.

Herbert Kohl is a marvelous listener. In this incredible volume, he demonstrates the benefits of using both ears and an open mind together. By taking seriously his students' refusals to be taught, he theorizes the well-founded reasons for this stubborn nay-saying. All of us -- parents and educators both -- have encountered this. Kohl helps us make sense of it, and teaches how to work with it.