Tuesday, July 30, 2013

No More Humping Dinosaurs

As I think I've mentioned, my new school is the oldest school in the school district and the oldest school in town.  About 40 years ago, several murals were painting on the inside walls of the main building.  The murals depict scientific, historical, literary, and social studies content as well as some cultural references for that time.  They are bright and some are cute and cartoonish.  They have been a trademark of sorts for the school.

When I started working there last summer, a few of the murals had been painted over and bulletin boards were placed on top of them to display student work.  At first, I felt a little bad that this part of the school's history had been covered up, but in reality displaying student work is very important for the culture of the school and several murals remained - it was like a happy medium.

Throughout any school year, some decisions on how to use funds are brought to the grade level team for discussion and input.  The murals were brought up this year, in fact it's been an ongoing discussion over the past few years.  There are mixed emotions about their fate.  Because of their age, they have been deteriorating and not looking up to par.  Some of the staff wanted them restored while the rest of the staff has been indifferent.  All the options were researched and presented to us this year.  Restoring the murals turned out to be quite cost prohibitive for a public school, while the cost of painting over and installing bulletins boards was more manageable.  Our team had a discussion during one of our team meetings midway through the year.  Most of the team agreed that bulletin boards were the smarter direction due to cost as there are always things we need that take priority over restoring the murals.  Since I haven't been involved in the past discussions, I didn't feel right voting but playing devil's advocate, I mentioned I was feeling nostalgic and might be sad if they were painted over.  There was some understanding, but the two teachers on the team who have been there for a few years shared a few examples of how the murals may not be the most appropriate for school.  They pointed out that in the paintings Huck Finn smoked, a few characters carried guns, and best of all...the dinosaurs in the prehistoric section were "doing it"!

Since arriving at my new school I've run around campus like a chicken with my head cut off so hadn't taken the time to really look at the murals when I walked through the halls.  After our meeting, I made an effort to do so.  On my walk from the cafeteria to the office I noticed the cigarette and the guns as well as a Eurocentric cultural diversity with stereotypes section - the Dutch girl and boy with wooden shoes, the Irish leprechaun, a kilted Scots boy, etc. - which was kind of funny being that our school is now about 80% Latino.  On our way to the science lab, I walked the class past the prehistoric mural and, sure enough, the dinosaurs look like they're humping (or at least what we think dinosaurs would look like humping).  Actually, it's just a really bad example of foreshortening or perspective.  I don't think the artist's intent was to paint fornicating dinosaurs, but still it was pretty funny.  On the other hand, maybe it was the intent.

Today I popped into my classroom for a few hours to get my furniture set up.  As I walked to the office to check in, I was surprised to see ALL the murals were painted over this summer.  Even though the hallways look very clean and bright without the murals, it is a little sad that part of the school's history has been removed. From now on, every time I walk by the science lab I'm going to giggle thinking about the humping dinosaurs.

17 comments:

  1. When are you back ?.

    It's hard to call something in a school that has cultural consequence actually valid. It isn't a museum or a gallery, indeed it's primary goal would be diametrically opposite being essentially creative. And really not until university could you say the element of preservation enters the thing at all.
    I'm a bit stumped all the same why they didn't keep an evolution going, despicably in the city you are in where you could readily get a company to run off a few templates of the current cartoon characters and get the kids to paint them in. Heck, you've a ready made workforce more than happy to paint on walls. Nor can I see a film company being precious with their copyright for there would be a nightmare level of bad publicity. But then who knows.

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    1. despicably was supposed to be 'especially'.

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    2. Back next week to get the room ready and I'm doing a couple of trainings. Then the kids return on 8/13...it went by so fast.
      Yes, there would have probably been a way to getting some new ones created and what fun that would be, but I think the decision more revolved around keeping them due to the history of the school or replacing them with a way to display student work. The walls won't be bare, and they'll be living as they'll change several times during the year. Adding different murals wouldn't have met either goal the school was trying to accomplish. It's interesting how the teachers who have been there the longest were the biggest proponents for covering them up. The halls do look fresher and cleaner and in an older school where things tend to look dirty due to age, that's important. I'll miss them though.

      PS - some how the draft of the Portugal post posted instead of saved. Gah! I wasn't actually finished with it yet, so I will put back up when I am. :)

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    3. The kids here have two months 'til 12. Then from 12 to 17/18 it starts in June usually the first week, less often the last of May. So, even though you told me the length last year I'm still a little shocked.

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    4. The older kids go back to school in early June or get out for summer in early June? In our district, we technically have about 2 months - mid June to mid August - the teachers start a week or so early to get things ready. We are only required (and paid) to be back the day before the kids return, but I haven't met a single teacher who can get everything done in that day. I usually need about a week to prep. With the additional 2.5 weeks of district work I did, summer ended up being about 4 weeks. But ya know that time and the couple weeks each at winter and spring breaks it's a lot of vacation time so I can't complain. I just enjoy it so much, it's hard to go back.

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    5. UNPAID ?. U-N-P-A-I-D !!!!!!!!!. They sure a shootin don't do that here.

      Oh, did you read about Detroit. I do hope many city workers are in private pensions. But it would seem not all.

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    6. (Sighs) Yes, unpaid. Maybe someday I will figure out how to get everything done in that paid day, but that hasn't happened or even come close to happening yet.
      Ah, yes, isn't it terrible what is happening there. Things in that city have been dire for quite some time. Maybe it's best to have someone from the outside restructure the mess into something doable. From what I've read there does seem to be a lot of expenses for a city that has shrunk by about half in the last 50 years. All eyes will be on the outcome and any struggling city (or state) may see it as a way to get out from under those pensions which is scary for those counting on them.

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    7. How the hell did your union manage that feat. That's nuts.

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    8. Being salaried, there isn't any extra pay for working hours beyond the contract but it is still expected that the job gets done. No one is making me come in a week early, I just wouldn't be able to do my job well if I didn't take the extra time. Now the fact that the union/district agreed upon only one day needed before school starts IS crazy.

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  2. I am with 40...It would have been a great project to keep the idea of a mural alive.

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    1. It would have been fun. Who knows, once the bulletin boards go up maybe they'll be room for something like that. For now though I think everyone will be happy with some soothing walls. :)

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  3. Wow, it makes me sad that they painted over everything. The Disney characters in the primary hallway near the K rooms were always fun. The "cultural stereotypes" section was really just a play on It's a Small World, meant to show traditional costumes, etc. But the humping dinosaurs, will never be forgotten. I seem to remember sixth graders noticing that near the end of each school year. I know it's just me being sentimental about those murals and I'm sure the school looks much brighter and cleaner, but it's a little sad.

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    1. You mean you knew about the dinos? How did I just find out about them this year? Such little time to enjoy them.
      Disney's Small World huh? I don't know, that may have made it worse. :)

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  4. Did you snap any pics before they were gone? I did get a kick out of those dinos!

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    1. No I didn't. When I noticed the white walls yesterday I wished I had taken some pics before they were covered. Sharon thinks she has one of the dinosaurs on here old phone. If she can find it, I'll post. So funny. Also funny is that I walked past them every day for the better part of 8 months and never even noticed.

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  5. I used to love dinosaurs. But my school had a mural of all sorts of kids from all over the world holding hands, because it was Austin, so we never had fun murals like that.

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  6. I guess I missed this post...and it is funny and sad. Every summer I teach a class at the local middle school where my children attended. Both of my girls entered a contest in art and their projects were selected to be painted into murals. AND they are still there even though the school was painted! Yay!

    Happy new school year! Due to construction we don't start with kids until Sept. 11!

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