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Rubenstien's Reluctant Disciplinarian.
A quick read for those not difficult to please, which, after k-12, I wasn't. After warning us (correctly) that no one can prepare us for a first year of teaching with words of wisdom, Rubenstien has a few morsels to share. Of course, it is much easier to tell a person what not to do than what to do. In reluctant defense of the author, though, the same goes for most philosophy, religion, fashion, etiquette, Losing Ten Pounds or Making Her Your Love Slave: what is generally unacceptable is clearly delineated and tends to remain static. Example: don't wear tevas with socks. But a do? I've no advice on that front, because Being Cool is a subtle art which one can only master through experience. Also I'm not Cool, just not Beyond Hope. I'm somewhere in between. I think this is what Rubenstien is, too-- not a guru, just somebody that's learned 'the hard way,' through experience. Ultimately, Rubenstien knows, experience is not only the Hard Way but the Only way, and who am I to tell a guy from Boring, Oregon not to tuck his t-shirt into his jeans? Rubenstien's aim is not to tell us What You Can Get Away With but more What You Probably Can't. One should not underestimate the usefulness of this sort of guide. However you'd like to frame them, Rubenstien's Rules are a series of Dont's rather than of Do's (see viceland.com). There is such a thing as a fanny pack looking cool. You have to be genius level to pull that off. Sure sometimes we stumble upon greatness accidental. But we're probably not ALL idiot savants. Personally, I would never try to pull off a fanny pack. I consider my clothing a success if I can avoid or at least anticipate ridicule. I realize my limitations. Creativity's all well and good, but when Rubenstien reminds us that Picasso knew how to draw, he has a point. One must know how to do it (in this case, teach) The Right Way in order to choose not to. Otherwise, there's no base for even the most ingenuitive structure. Without knowledge, can be no Choice.
The work has some merit because it accurately anticipates the attitudes with which many idealistic young souls walk into the classroom-- and get eaten alive. The problem is that these same souls have too much integrity to allow their opinions to be changed by a cute little book, no matter how valid its arguments might be.
As far as tone is concerned, the joke-a-minute thing worked for me: reading the thing cover to cover took no more mental energy than watching a half-hour sitcom. At the same time, what sort of advertisement is "it was easy?" In broadening his audience, Rubenstien cuts his credibility in half: yes, there is a good deal to be found humorous in the inevitable chaos that ensues when a sheltered young Jew takes on a room full of jaded (insert ethnic minority here.) We find this funny, we're conditioned to. The poor guy is out of his league. It isn't difficult to identify.
I can't feel decent faulting Reluctant Disciplinarian for doing what it sets out to do: it exists as a short, inoffensive (sorry Molina) piece with campy illustrations, not as an instructional manual. That's what Wong and Wong are for. The book is modest and its candidity sincere. For me, that saves it. To criticize it would be like criticizing the Sunday Comics or an episode of Friends. Inconsequential fluff, no doubt, with a few good tidbits thrown in. Much like meringues with chocolate chips. Have you ever had those? They're excellent.
All that aside, however, my favorite book so far has been Delta Autumn.
A quick read for those not difficult to please, which, after k-12, I wasn't. After warning us (correctly) that no one can prepare us for a first year of teaching with words of wisdom, Rubenstien has a few morsels to share. Of course, it is much easier to tell a person what not to do than what to do. In reluctant defense of the author, though, the same goes for most philosophy, religion, fashion, etiquette, Losing Ten Pounds or Making Her Your Love Slave: what is generally unacceptable is clearly delineated and tends to remain static. Example: don't wear tevas with socks. But a do? I've no advice on that front, because Being Cool is a subtle art which one can only master through experience. Also I'm not Cool, just not Beyond Hope. I'm somewhere in between. I think this is what Rubenstien is, too-- not a guru, just somebody that's learned 'the hard way,' through experience. Ultimately, Rubenstien knows, experience is not only the Hard Way but the Only way, and who am I to tell a guy from Boring, Oregon not to tuck his t-shirt into his jeans? Rubenstien's aim is not to tell us What You Can Get Away With but more What You Probably Can't. One should not underestimate the usefulness of this sort of guide. However you'd like to frame them, Rubenstien's Rules are a series of Dont's rather than of Do's (see viceland.com). There is such a thing as a fanny pack looking cool. You have to be genius level to pull that off. Sure sometimes we stumble upon greatness accidental. But we're probably not ALL idiot savants. Personally, I would never try to pull off a fanny pack. I consider my clothing a success if I can avoid or at least anticipate ridicule. I realize my limitations. Creativity's all well and good, but when Rubenstien reminds us that Picasso knew how to draw, he has a point. One must know how to do it (in this case, teach) The Right Way in order to choose not to. Otherwise, there's no base for even the most ingenuitive structure. Without knowledge, can be no Choice.
The work has some merit because it accurately anticipates the attitudes with which many idealistic young souls walk into the classroom-- and get eaten alive. The problem is that these same souls have too much integrity to allow their opinions to be changed by a cute little book, no matter how valid its arguments might be.
As far as tone is concerned, the joke-a-minute thing worked for me: reading the thing cover to cover took no more mental energy than watching a half-hour sitcom. At the same time, what sort of advertisement is "it was easy?" In broadening his audience, Rubenstien cuts his credibility in half: yes, there is a good deal to be found humorous in the inevitable chaos that ensues when a sheltered young Jew takes on a room full of jaded (insert ethnic minority here.) We find this funny, we're conditioned to. The poor guy is out of his league. It isn't difficult to identify.
I can't feel decent faulting Reluctant Disciplinarian for doing what it sets out to do: it exists as a short, inoffensive (sorry Molina) piece with campy illustrations, not as an instructional manual. That's what Wong and Wong are for. The book is modest and its candidity sincere. For me, that saves it. To criticize it would be like criticizing the Sunday Comics or an episode of Friends. Inconsequential fluff, no doubt, with a few good tidbits thrown in. Much like meringues with chocolate chips. Have you ever had those? They're excellent.
All that aside, however, my favorite book so far has been Delta Autumn.
posted by Elizabeth at 4:49 AM
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