When did common become our goal With basic standards as what we extol With teachers reduced to a scripted role? When did students all read the same page And students advance according to age As if minds grow best inside a cage? We flattened the curve so all could succeed Ignoring we grow at various speeds Neglecting the nuance of each learner’s needs We’re training soldiers instead of captains If we don’t train leaders, what could possibly happen? We need to reverse direction; this trend we must flatten Engagement starts when students choose And use their voice, not someone else’s rules Innovation begins by breaking this monotonous pattern.
Lament
A lament, which is the form I chose for Mandating Mundane, is one of the oldest forms of poetry. It gives voice to grief, loss, or injustice. Laments do not always offer solutions. Instead, they express what hurts and ask us to notice what has been broken or forgotten.
Some of the most powerful laments in poetry include W. H. Auden’s “Funeral Blues”, which captures personal grief with precision, and William Dunbar’s Lament for the Makers, translated by David Ferry here, which honors lost poets through steady repetition. These poems show how lament can be both emotional and enduring.
Author’s Note: Mandating Mundane was written during a time when I felt education was becoming increasingly standardized. As a teacher, I understand the importance of having goals and standards, but I also worry about what can be lost when those standards become the destination rather than the starting point.
Some of my most meaningful experiences as a student and teacher have come from creativity, curiosity, and the freedom to explore ideas in different ways. This poem reflects my concern that when everyone is expected to move at the same pace and follow the same path, we risk overlooking the unique strengths, interests, and potential of individual learners.
Your Turn:
Write a lament of your own. Here are three quick suggestions to get you started:
- Name the loss and make that the centerpiece.
- Ground the grief in imagery.
- Resist the urge to resolve the grief.
Please share your creativity with us. Post the poem or, better yet, a link to your poem in the comments.