Free writing

Allen Lee's teacher assigned a "free writing" exercise. That meant: "Write whatever comes into your mind. Do not judge or censor what you are writing."

Allen Lee followed that assignment and for that he has been charged with two counts of disorderly conduct. Seems, what came into his head was a scene of violence, sex, and disillusionment.

The essay is certainly disturbing. Of course Lee should be referred to psychological counseling. But does following the teacher's assignment warrant criminal charges? "Do not censor" the teacher says, and then the kid gets arrested for failing to censor. Would it have been better if he had cut out the violent and perverted portions? People in trouble often speak out, and it is better that they speak than if they remained silent.

I think the form of the assignment is rather disappointing; the sheet is filled with bullet points and outlines "guidelines" for free writing (oxymoronic, no?), and it lists the "benefits" of the exercise, since every action must be in furtherance of some goal.

Of course there is a dilemma whenever a student writes something disturbing, whenever fiction and nonfiction become indistinguishable. Lee claims that the section about shooting people in the school and then having sex with the bodies, a section which is in quotes, was written as if from the point of view of a character. How can we know that is not true? And if it is true, is that more or less acceptable?

I think kids are often let down by their teachers, who at once try to let their students think freely and then try to impose a structure upon thought. When I was doing research on early education, I read a manual for one particular curriculum. It's basic tenet was that play was the most important thing for young kids, that kids learned mostly through play, and limiting play would limit their minds. Also, it argued that the teacher's job was to allow the children to interact with each other and with the teacher, since collaboration and exhibition was central to the learning process. It warned against asking children questions - for example, if the child was playing with a male doll and a female doll, the teacher should not ask "Are these two married?" - because the question itself limits the terms of the child's imagination. They suddenly are placed in a certain mindset - male and female people are either married or not, that is how they are defined.

Is it possible for a teacher to assign anything that could possibly be "free writing"? The assignment itself emphasizes the usefulness of free writing. Doesn't that impose a goal-oriented, or perhaps it might be termed a capitalistic, mindset? Do this in order to get that. Well, Lee wrote something in order to get a reaction; he expressly insults the teacher and argues that she is attempting to divide herself from her class. Certainly he wrote that being aware that the teacher would read it, and probable he wrote that because he knew that the teacher would read it.

That is not to say this is the teacher's fault. Of course it is not, and of course it is expected that such an essay would make her feel uncomfortable, threatened, and even assaulted. But how much of it is the kid's fault, either? And how much of it is the fault of the questions he was asked?