Two of the Saddest Things I Have Ever Seen

Two of the saddest things I have ever seen happened quite some time ago. One was probably around 30 years ago and the second was 13 years ago. The first was something I read in the newspaper and the second was something I witnessed first-hand.

I read in the paper that one of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury, was going to speak at the Carlsbad Library. I would have loved to go, but even if I could have gone the article I read probably would have kept me from going. It was a very short article, and I don't remember most of it. Only one thing from that article stands out in my mind. When he was asked about taking questions, Mr. Bradbury said that he never answered questions. He said that the "questions are always stupid." Hopefully he rethought that as time went by, but I have always thought that was an incredibly sad thing to have thought and said.

The second thing was something that happened when I was substitute teaching. I subbed at all the schools in the Vista Unified School District, especially the elementary schools. One of the schools I subbed at was a science and technology (or math and science?) magnet school. I loved teaching there! There were so many creative ideas flowing through there, and subbing there was always interesting. Then I was given a first or second grade class to teach (I am pretty sure it was first grade). Kids kept raising their hands in different ways. I would call on one of them, and they would tell me that was the signal for sharpening their pencil, using the restroom, etc. Finally I asked, "What do you do when you just want to ask a question?" Twenty or so faces looked blankly at me. Then I heard one bewildered little voice, "We're not allowed to ask questions."

I almost fainted right then and there! I know that child was not making that up because the whole class was as bewildered as he was when I asked about questions. How could ANY teacher, let alone one in a school that should, above all others, encourage questions not allow questions in her classroom?! I let them know that they were free to ask me anything they wanted all day, and boy did they ever! They asked me questions about me, about math, about bugs, about everything, and they got all the answers I could give them.

I can only hope that none of that teacher's students lost their love of learning and their natural curiosity because of her. I look back and wish I had reported her. I don't know if it would have done any good, but someone needed to know what that teacher was doing to all the children that were entrusted into her daily care. All I know is that that was one of the saddest things I have ever witnessed.