Nuance

Schools are closed today here in southern Wisconsin. A snowstorm blew in last night and pushed us closer to the wood stove. There is an eerie silence that settles over the land when its covered with 8” of snow. With all that is going on around us, silence is good.

I have spent the last 10 weeks teaching high school again. Filling in for a colleague starting her family was rewarding and tiring. I was reminded again of what I have believed for a long time: you are either in it or out of it. It is not possible to fully understand the delicate dance that takes place in a thriving classroom unless you are there every day. Needless to say my absence from full-time teaching made my re-learning curve that much harder. There is little doubt that successful teachers learn an elaborate and elegant set of skills to help kids learn. I admire their talent.

It was also enlightening to see a different group of kids making their way through high school. Some issues were new, but mostly kids are still kids. They are trying to figure out what they love and what they’re good at amid a whole cascade of emotions that even the best of us don’t always understand. They want to be independent, but they haven’t figured out how. They don’t want to be children anymore, but they don’t know how to be adults. It’s a very interesting mixture.

One day I began class by writing the word “nuance” on the board. One of the hardest things to learn is that we all filter the world through our own experience. Unless we understand “nuance” – a subtle difference in or shade of meaning or expression – we are doomed to mis-understanding and confusion. Although most high school students can’t provide a dictionary definition of the word, they certainly recognize it in practice. They clearly read the “nuance” in their dad’s voice and expression when he says, “Do I need to ask you to clean up that mess again?”. Just like many other teachers, I want our students to recognize how important it is to listen and understand in an environment that is difficult to pin down. We want them to recognize the subtle, significant shades of meaning we all use as we try to understand the world around us. We introduce them to all the tools we use to make sense of the world: math, science, social studies, communication theory, technology, music, theatre, art, etc. And yet, the most important skill they must learn seems to not be a skill at all. Let’s call it an attitude. They must believe that knowledge is essential and the systems we have created to determine “truth” are reliable. They must believe that our American system of public education was created because education leads to enlightenment and everyone has a right to enrich their lives. They must believe – in their bones – that knowledge is better than ignorance. And here is where “nuance” comes in.

High school kids are experts at spotting hypocrisy, especially in the adults they’re around most of the time. They delight in catching us playing the “do what I say, not what I do” game. We told them never to lie, but when they asked, “Daddy, will you ever die?” maybe you didn’t follow the expert advice in Parent Magazine. Maybe you thought they were too young to understand or maybe you didn’t want them thinking about death. Maybe you just wanted them to stay kids for as long as possible. So you lied and said, “I will be here as long as you need me.”  Now, as they grow older, we hope they understand that lying can have shades of meaning. And most often they do. They recognize that honest, thoughtful people can have sincere difficulties in understanding and explaining how they see the world. Understanding nuance helps them be more patient and accepting of those differences. If they can be more patient and reflective, they will be better able to understand and evaluate the tsunami of information they receive every day.

It will also help them recognize that there are some people who fully understand the term nuance and use that knowledge to mislead and misrepresent. These are people who work hard to undermine the processes we use to seek the truth and the systems we use to share it. Our students need to know that some want to weaken our schools and news organizations because it is easier to deceive people who are not well informed.  Can you see why teachers love what they do?

The good news is most high school kids accept the importance of doing well in school. Oh, they complain about it, but deep down, they trust their parents and teachers. And they are often thoughtful and funny, even to old guys who can’t work a smartboard. These kids are incredibly fortunate that this community recognizes the enormous value of good schools. It was like a breath of fresh air to hear our Governor say we must put the needs of our public schools at the top of our priority list again and return to the Wisconsin Idea.  If we do, we might make the world easier for everyone.