After about two decades in teaching, I have seen quite a bit and lived through (just about!) many changes. 'What goes around, comes around', as they say.
Everything is up for grabs and previous ideas come back into fashion. The one concept in the field of education which does not seem to change is the idea that mankind is basically alright. We have made a few mistakes, admittedly, but underneath it all we are good.
What comes naturally
There is no question that this is not the case. There are many wonderful ideas and concepts discussed and put forward in research, but they all revolve around this central precept. The ideas and issues discussed are cogent and have a direct and helpful bearing on my own work, but we don't seem able to face the painful fact that we do not measure up. I deal with large groups of children every day, as do all teachers, and the facts are inescapable. Children are not good. They naturally do wrong.
