In speaking of creative writing pedagogy, people seldom mention That Kid. Everyone who has taught or taken a workshop knows who That Kid is (with exception, of course, of That Kid). In every workshop there’s one. And only one. These solitary creatures cannot stomach competition, and can barely countenance the presence of a professor.
That Kid is pedagogy’s equivalent to fiber–That Kid moves the class along with an arrogance that raises room temperature, but does not otherwise nourish. A student, yes, but an unteachable one. To his or her own mind, That Kid is fully formed and realized, and ought, if anything, be the one teaching.
The question: What to do about That Kid? My own opinion is that, like fiber, That Kid requires nothing less than a full excretion from the classroom. That Kid lacks the appetite for learning that gives meaning to a classroom; That Kid’s presence is cancerous.
If That Kid is to stay in the class, corporeal punishment should be considered. Corporeal punishment’s pedagogical utility in university settings has never been given serious consideration. This is a shame, especially considering what unchecked violence is committed everywhere by That Kid.
Techniques of The Dog Whisperer should be adapted for human use. As with dogs, affection only enables That Kid. Ignoring That Kid is as an act of submission. With That Kid, the power dynamic needs to ossified; egalitarianism, throttled. Paulo Freire’s book needs to be rewritten as Pedagogy of the Oppressor, and used as a paddle.