Is it a problem or a possibility?

I finished reading Richard Power’s Bewilderment the other day and I can’t stop thinking about it. In looking for a succinct plot description (of which there are none), I read the jacket copy which ends with “At its heart lies the questions: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?” This is most definitely one of the pressing questions in this book but for me, it is not where the heart of the story lies.

Bewilderment revolves around Theo and his nine year old son, Robin, as they navigate a slightly futuristic world. Many questions are posed in this story about big, important things like climate change and politics. The questions that have stuck with me the most though were the questions this book poses about our education system. Robin is grieving the death of his mom and he is really struggling in school. It’s possible he has ADHD? Maybe he is on the Autism spectrum? Regardless of his diagnosis, it is clear, the classroom setting is not working for him. The school wants him on medication. This is their one and only suggestion. Robin is crazy smart and unbelievably creative. He is artistic and clever and fearless. When Theo pulls Robin out of school, he thrives. He learns in the ways that are best suited to who he is.

Today in yoga- because the universe works like this, our teacher reminded us of one of my favorite stories. And this story speaks directly to the questions posed in Bewilderment.

If you don’t know about Mr. Jensen, please click below to watch the most amazing three minute clip.

In short, Mr. Jensen sees a possibility where others have only seen a problem. One action by one teacher changed the course of one boy’s life.

I love this story and the possibilities it presents to all of us. I have pie in the sky dreams for what our schools might look like if we take the time to learn the lessons the pandemic has taught us all. But this is not the time for that conversation. Right now, teachers and administrators alike are focused on putting one foot in front of the other as they need to be. So for now, I will keep thinking about Robin and Mr. Jensen and wondering what the future could hold if we opened our eyes to different ways of navigating the world of education.