Chanelle LaCross
Seminar III - Prof. Baldwin

36 Children

      I recently read the book 36 Children, written by Herbert Kohl. It is a heart-filled account of a teacher's experiences in a Harlem school. The novel depicts his joys as well as his struggles not only with the world around him, but within himself. I am glad that out of the four novels, this was the one I got to read. 36 Children eased some of my concerns about teaching and provided serious insight into the life of a great teacher.

      Sometimes I wonder if teaching is really the right career for me. I feel like I can do it and I want to do it, but sometimes I worry whether or not I am the best candidate to be leader of our future. Even though I know nobody is perfect, I feel like teachers come extremely close. Mr. Kohl comforted me when he said, "The ideal of the teacher as a flawless moral exemplar is a devilish trap for the teacher as well as a burden for the child." He comes back to say, "Of course the teacher is a moral exemplar - an example of all the confusion, hypocrisy, and indecision, of all the mistakes, as well as the triumphs, of moral man." This was powerful to me; it told me that even if I did try to act perfect, I would not be helping anyone. The best I can hope to do is strive for what is best for my students.

      One thing that I did not like about Mr. Kohl's class was the lack of structure. At times it seemed his classroom was just chaotic. All the students were going in different directions. One would be writing a novel, another doodling pictures, this group is making a volcano while that group is gossiping about boys. No one had any real focus. Sometimes students would find a particular subject of interest and begin some sort of project related to it. Once they became disengaged, the project would stop and that was it. Nothing was ever mentioned again. I am still curious how and on what basis Mr. Kohl finally distributed grades at the end of the year.

      However, Mr. Kohl did do something that I thought was vital to his success in the classroom. He believed in all of his students and showered them with kind, honest and encouraging words. It only takes the inspiration of one person to change someone's entire life around. I know how it feels to have someone tell you that you are not good enough. When I applied to Fairleigh Dickinson (It was the only school I applied to), my guidance counselor told me that I should reconsider my decision. Her reason, "FDU is just too prestigious of a school for you." Even though I know now that she was wrong, I would be lying if I said that those words never taunted me. On the flip side, I also know how it feels to have people standing beside you offering their praise and support. Of the two, the latter is definitely the greater driving force.

      Overall, I thought this book was great. I was a little disappointed to find in the end that Mr. Kohl's children seemed to be loosing the battle. I guess I was expecting a story-book ending, but instead got a little reality. Life for those kids was not easy and when your back is against the wall unfortunately, things like education and the arts are first to take the back burner. Still, I believe that regardless of where these 36 children end up, their hearts will warm every time they think of their days in Mr. Kohl's 6-1 class; when someone truly cared about them!