Hidden Intellectualism Gerald Graff PDF

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Tatiana Diaz (Final Draft, 800 Words)

September 18, 2017

In Gerald Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism” he begins by suggesting that schools and colleges often worry more about basic subjects like literature and mathematics but they do not focus on “street smart” subjects that interest the students. He believes that teachers need to stop blaming the students and just take a look on how they themselves are teaching the students. Graff encourages that there are many kids that show their clever side with interests in things that do not have to do with academic subjects but when they get into class, they do poorly. He claims that schools need to take into consideration that there are many kids who are intelligent in those non academic subjects and should create classes that deal with the interest of those “street smart” kids. He asserts that kids are being taught basic subjects that do not interest them and subjects that they just cannot comprehend but to adults, those subjects are relatively easy. Graff is not questioning that basic subjects we take in school should be completely forgotten and erased but that schools just need to contemplate on the interests of their students so they will have a somewhat better academic year. Graff advocates that colleges and schools should take consideration in the interests of students and create some classes that contain those “street smart” subjects. Graff starts off by speaking upon his own experiences when he was in school, his friends, and his interests as an anti-intellectual. Graff himself was one of those “street smart” kids. He had a passion for sports and only sports. He hated reading books but when it came to reading about sports, he would not mind one bit. He became very addicted to reading magazines, novels and articles about sports. Graff lived in Chicago at the times after World War II ended. There were many ethnicities and groups living on his block but there was one group in particular he

wanted to become a part of. He claims that he wanted to be considered on of the“hoods”. He emphasizes that to become a part of the hoods, he had to not demonstrate his smart side in front of them because if he did then the hoods would turn on him. He grew up very confused because of the fact that he needed to prove that he was smart but at the same time he would get a beating if he proved that he was too smart. He claims that there was always a discussion of being tough and verbally tough. Graff considered himself an inarticulate verbal boy because he was not physically tough. Graff extends his adolescent experience and how he began to practice becoming an intellect without him even realizing it. He insists that he saw how women preferred geeks over jocks which allowed him to realize how things were changing. He also asserts that he had no idea he was already on his was to being an intellectual before he even knew that is what he wanted to be. He believes that because of all his talks with his friends about sports and other things, he began then and there to learn the basics of being intellectual and that is how is he wrote this essay. Graff explains the sports vs school intellectual and non intellectual. Graff enjoyed sports much more than basic subjects because it was something with much more interest in him. Since it was a subject he was very familiar with, it made it easy for him to come up evidence and argue about it with his friends. Graff insists that “street smart beats our book smarts in our culture”. School keep students secluded from involving them with the community because of the schoolwork given to students but things like his sports debate team allowed him to be more involved in the community and have conversations and debates about his favorite subject with people he did not know. Graff concludes that schools miss that opportunity to help kids engage their interests into

class. You can let a kid write an essay about their interest and still help them merge that into making better arguments with their interest. Schools need to learn to show students how to learn more about their interest through “academic eyes”. Students get exhausted of listening and writing about the same subjects. Instead of making students bored with subjects they have no knowledge in, teachers should take the interests of students and just apply them with the basic academics with any other subject, therefore having students take their interests and make great claims and arguments with them. Graff states that he prefers a student that writes a well structured essay on a topic of their interest over a student who writes a dull and boring essay on an academic subject....