From Compliance to Empowerment: Shaping Confident, Critical Thinkers
By Amy Berkley Columbus Academy • Gahanna, OH
A
lower school student was found carrying a stick after recess as his class walked toward the dining hall. This was against the rules, and the teacher quickly instructed the child to drop the stick. When the student responded with the typical,“ Why?” the teacher reasoned that,“ We leave nature where we find it.” In response, this very literal and admittedly stubborn child responded,“ Lumberjacks don’ t leave wood where they find it.” To which the teacher responded,“ You’ re not a lumberjack!” Frustrated by the trajectory of the conversation, the student rolled his eyes and threw the stick down, which resulted in an immediate punishment from the teacher for his blatant disrespect. What happened in this situation? Something we all have seen a million times but might be a bit painful to acknowledge: the tendency toward mindless compliance, where rules are enforced without considering the reasoning behind them, until a defiant student calls attention to the disconnect, leaving us caught off guard and somewhat embarrassed.
The student left believing the rule was illogical. He wasn’ t obeying because he understood, but because he feared the punishment. This scenario reflects a deeper problem in many classrooms: students often follow rules out of fear, not comprehension. This disconnect between authority and understanding is also reflected in the world of fiction and history. One of the most fitting representations of this predicament can be found in Dr. Seuss’ s The Cat in the Hat. Chaos bursts into the house when the Cat arrives uninvited, and the fish, both physically and metaphorically trapped in his bowl, repeatedly warns,“ If mother could see this, oh, what would she say!” But instead of reasoning with the children, the fish relies on threats to maintain order. Just like in The Cat in the Hat, the absence of understanding leads to mindless repetition of chaos. Well-respected
Continues on page 12
CSEE Connections Summer 2025 Page 11