The Chinese Fire Drill

Monday, April 2, 2012

McCarthy's Law #119

About two weeks ago, I posted the 118th strip from McCarthy's Law, and a took another in a string of recent beatings among various social networks.  When my most recent one REALLY caught a wave of vituperation among readers, I went back and reassessed where I had been going with the strip.  What I've realized is that, in my attempt to be more authentic (by tackling educational issues on the national level rather within my sphere of experience), I was actually becoming less so.

There are some great teacher/activists such as Katie Osgood in Chicago and Bob Sikes in Flordia who do a great job of both maintining their careers in the classroom while researching, blogging, posting, and updating what's going on in this horrible wave of "Education Deform."  They are way out of my league, and when I try to emulate them (in comic strip fashion no less) all I do is look idiotic.

So, I'm going back to my sphere...education as I live it, see it, and know it.  This idea comes from my girlfriend, Wendi Evans (a fourth grade special ed teacher who deals with stressors I couldn't begin to imagine as a high school teacher).  This is the how the reform movement looks from my window, and that's about all to which I can claim any expertise.  I thought for this first one, I'd go back to the kids and how they are so easily influenced by those very people (media moguls and Corporate Americans) who would blame us for the state of the modern adolescent mind.

No doubt, when I post this, someone will argue that I'm slamming/mocking/ridiculing kids...
Whatever...

Best,
Wheels-





2 comments:

Tay said...

So true! So many kids think they can do better on their own. Very sad.

I wanted to tell you that I like the opening slide w/ the character intros. I think it should be on every comic. Maybe with the subject the teacher teaches. This way, someone coming in late knows who is who, or if you submit on to a publication, etc. Just a thought.

Loved this issue!

Donovan Wheeler said...

That was some good advice. I'm playing around with multiple intro panels, so that I don't use the same one all the time. But the subject matter tag is a good idea. Thanks.