Conformity

What is conformity in schools? Is that what we want in schools for everyone to conform? Does conformity produce creativity and innovation? Most schools state they want the students to be independent and creative thinkers. But we are not developing that in most schools.

The article Education-The immense cost of Conformity. November 6, 2017. Here is the link: https://psych3850n.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/education-the-immense-cost-of-conformity/ It discusses how conformity impacts schools. It shows that if students do not conform to the schools’ norms they are usually labeled as “rebellious or misfits.” It explains that in the business world which insists on creativity and innovation college graduates are not able to do that. The graduates are not creative and innovative because they are so custom to conform. We need to think about how to build quality in schools without conformity.

Teachers and administrators need to develop environments that create innovation and not conformity. If there is a child that does not do what everyone else does, he/she is usually labeled as a problem. Many times, students with behavioral problems, especially students of color, are identified as having special needs. Simply, because they did not conform. As educators, we need to create structure in the classroom and/or school so we can teach, and the students can learn. But we need to allow for differences and encourage innovation.

Walk into any classroom or school and identify if this school creates innovation or conformity. Is the classroom environment student-centered or teacher-centered? Do the students develop their own ideas or are they told what ideas to have and reproduce for a test?

Erica Goldson in 2010 was a High School valedictorian giving her high school graduation speech. It is about how conformity does not produce creativity or innovation. Here is the link http://americaviaerica.blogspot.com/p/speech.html We as educators need to do more than just the status quo. It is not enough for the children we serve to expect conformity. We need to create an environment that encourages and develops creativity and innovation. Not conformity.