I laughed when I was reading the part where The McChoakumchild school was all fact. Fact,fact,fact! I feel that because of the No Child Left Behind legislation, we too are bound to teach fact, fact, fact. Rarely do we get to do the creative things we would like to do in our classrooms. We have to weigh whether what we are doing is necessary or if there is another way to teach the lesson. Creativitiy takes time. Time we really don't have because we are having to teach the facts, facts, facts. I would love to be able to the children to blossom with creativity, but feel that my hands are tied. I do not want my students to end up like Louisa. She has no idea what it is to dream or to imagine. She has no idea how to have fun. Children should be allowed to enjoy being children.

I agree with you Debbie. Teaching has changed so much over the years. It's like teachers can't be trusted to teach anymore. We are given so much that we have to do that we don't have time for extras, just the facts. I believe that teaching and learning should evoke emotions and from there, students will attached or connect meaning. Facts bring about nothing other than the frustration of failure to memorize them.