August 22, 2016

At school long before the light, and rather earlier than I needed to be. Met my first two classes. Happily surprised at the coherence of what was coming out of my mouth. It feels all right so far. K made a visit. In one class there is a special needs student whose special needs look like they will become the focus of our energies. As I sat there adjusting syllabus and procedures in my head, I wondered if that was right. The institution saves itself time and administrative energies pushing this issue onto the instructors, but I don’t believe it is well pushed. Admittedly, I stand very much on the side which views education as a well from which the student may drink or not, rather than as a mendicant chasing the student down and begging for acceptance and approval. I believe there should be special instructors and special classes for special students. This is not a popular view now, but I have yet to experience a like situation in which they good of the many was not sacrificed for the good of the few. Throw out the word “segregation” and the conversation is over, fairly or not. Is it even to their good? Is it better to be taught by me in a large group or by someone specifically equipped in a small and select one? I actually don’t know the answer to that. I actually don’t know on which side kindness lies.