Lighten Up a Little

Impervious
An Example of Creative, Scientific, Systematic Education
by Carl Nordwall (retired, LCPS)

Impervious was his nickname. He had been christened Arnold Ernest Purvis, but the official cognomen was abandonedduring his first year in school. His teacher began calling him'Impervious', because it was utterly impossible to get any usefulinformation into him.

Attempts to teach him and directions given him always got thewrong results. When told to sit down, he would stand up.If asked to eat his lunch, he would go to the bathroom, andwhen told to take a nap, he would climb a tree. In high school,at the age of sixteen, he was still a total blank. His self-conceptwas very low.

Finally, inspired teachers worked out a system of stimuli thatwould elicit the desired (although not literal) responses.For example, if they wanted him to write his name, they wouldask him to tie his shoe laces. Impervious Purvis soon began toprosper acedemically. He succeeded well and is now Dean ofthe School of Education at a highly-regarded university.