WorldWide Drilling Resource

40 FEBRUARY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® The Un-Comfort Zone II by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. Bullied into Conformity Schools foster conformity and tacit- ly encourage bullies to be enforcers. Philip was a quiet kid who always sat inconspicuously along the side wall of the classroom. His head would be bowed over his desk as he busily drew pictures, all the while contentedly obliv- ious the teacher was commanding the attention of the rest of the class. He was chubby, his hair looked as if it needed a comb run though it, and he seemed to have trouble keeping his shirttail tucked in. Like Pigpen, the char- acter from the Peanuts cartoon strip, an air of sloppiness surrounded him. Most of his classmates, including me, thought Philip was stupid, or at least a little slow. Today he might be diagnosed as autis- tic or ADD. My first and second grade teachers mostly left him alone, but when we reached third grade, our new teacher decided to make a project of reforming Philip. She would call on him to answer questions, but being busy drawing, he could never answer correctly. She would yell at him for not paying attention, snatch the drawings off his desk, then crumble them up and throw them in the trash. This never succeeded, so she resorted to corporal punishment. Prominently hooked on a nail next to the blackboard was a wooden paddle. It hung there in constant reminder of what awaited us if we failed to behave. For most of us that worked. The next time Philip failed to answer, she took him in the hallway with her paddle. We heard the whacks through the door as she spanked him. And, when they returned to the room, Philip was crying. This went on week after week. I never knew of a kid who was spanked more in school than Philip, but he never seemed to learn. My classmates and I avoided him on the playground and at lunch; we never included him. He was different so we completely shunned him. I recall a few kids calling him names, but I don’t remember anyone physically bullying him. Our teacher seemed to be doing plenty of that without our help. Never- theless, we were all laughing at him behind his back. He frequently had pencil lead all over his hands, and one day he got some smeared on his face, a little bit above his lip. The teacher said, “Are you trying to draw a mustache on your face?” The class laughed. “Well, you haven’t done a very good job. Come up here to the front of the room. Give me that pencil. I’ll give you a mustache.” She took his pencil and rubbed the point sideways along the space between his nose and his upper lip until it was dark black. At first there were a few snickers, but eventually the class fell silent. She was relentless in humiliating him in front of us. At this point we all felt sorry for Philip. Eventually the teacher gave up on reforming Philip and left him alone. He was able to draw in peace again. One day as I walked past his desk, I saw one of his drawings. It was of two birds; one at rest and another in flight. They were beautiful and I was stunned by how realistic they looked - almost photographic in detail. I couldn’t believe a kid could draw that well. The rest of us were still drawing stick figures while Philip was drawing like an adult with years of experience. The teacher’s tactics, which were normal for that era, would not be toler- ated today. Our schools, however, are still designed to foster conformity. Public schools’ one-size-fits-all approach to teaching lends itself to “Zero-Tolerance” in all areas of the educational process. A process which fails to recognize the unique strengths some children have. When children do not conform or are genuinely unique (in whatever way), the other children will pitch in by bullying them back into conformity. Those on the side- lines learn quickly what is expected and what will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, this behavioral correctness spills over onto the playground, and children who are different will be isolated or taunted. According to StopBullying.gov: “Children who are at greater risk of bul- lying are: • Simple installation • Trouble-free operation For more information call: (270) 786-3010 or visit us online: www.geothermalsupply.com Atlantis Vault In Memoriam Joseph L. “Joe” Armstrong (1948~2013) The Indiana Groundwater Association sadly reported the passing of Joseph L. “Joe” Armstrong on December 15, 2013. A licensed and certified well drilling professional, pump installer, and groundwater tech, he was presi- dent and owner of Armstrong Drilling of Burlington, Indiana. Joe was a long-time member and past pres- ident of the Indiana Groundwater Association, and served on the Town Board of Burlington and the Carroll County Area Planning Commission. Joe is survived by his wife Betty; children Michael, Valerie (Michael), Amanda (Jason), and Joseph (Winnie); eight grandchildren; two great-grand- children, and extended family. The management and staff of WorldWide Drilling Resource ® extend their condolences to Joe’s family, friends, and colleagues. Wilson cont’d on page 68.