Kids, Critics and the Courage of Kate Clanchy
By Victoria Smith | The Critic Magazine
In 2019, the iPaper published an extract from Kate Clanchy’s then-celebrated book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. At that time, it attracted little criticism, but it’s difficult to imagine it being received the same way today.
The extract's title, “What I Learned from Teaching in a Unit Landing Troubled Children Too Disruptive for School Classrooms,” would likely provoke outrage now. The descriptions of the children are candid and unvarnished.
“They don’t look well,” Clanchy writes. “Often, they don’t even look young.” Simon has premature wrinkles on his forehead, Dave a middle-aged belly. The girls could be middle-aged too, mothers queuing defeated and harmless in the Co-op.
After painting them as passive and defeated, Clanchy then reveals a more complex reality: these children, excluded from mainstream education, are far from harmless.
“Each one of these kids has the power to end learning in any mainstream classroom at any time, and each of their powers, as always in a gathering of superheroes, is different.”
Writers must take risks, even if it means angering or upsetting some readers.
Author's Summary
This excerpt highlights Kate Clanchy's unflinching portrayal of troubled children, emphasizing their complex nature and the courage required to share such honest stories.
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