Gatto Aainst School

The chapter in Rereading America, that John Taylor Gatto wrote, was about how he questions whether we should be in a classroom setting where we are forced to be in this "prison" for twelve years. Gatto asks is it worth it to be in school for hours a day? So many other great achievers have become a huge influence without the "forced schooling." I was really interested in how he has a great message about how students retaliate when they can't stand to be in this conformed community. Gatto is very competent when it comes to the facts that he used and how his comments seem very GENUINE. Also, in the text he uses quotes and in his foot notes there seems to be a feel that he did his research before he began this breakdown education faults.

Gatto's message is about how he has experienced the educations misrepresentations and how he has tried to fix those setbacks with his own ideas of education and teaching strategies. He explains that the academic standards are not what they should be. That teachers shouldn't be trying to mold the students into what they believe they should be, but challenge them and make them question and help them become great thinkers. The author also questions his own opinion about how maybe the schools are actually doing something right and he was wrong. The author is showing that he is not so narrowing minded and he actually considered and explored other perspectives.

I felt as though Gatto understands the intended audience and he shows that he is trying to teach the teachers of America by asking them to challenge their own ideas and what might they be able to do to change this circle of creating a childish community. This author is telling students and teachers that they are being childish and just following what society is influencing us to be. Gatto knows what it's like to have "big brother" watching over and telling people that they need to be this way or that way.