Double binds that my colleagues and I have encountered are when we are told that we work only an eight hour day. How many good teachers do you know who are not working more than eight hours a day or spend the summer planning for the next year? We are given large amounts of responsibility and accountability but no tools.
My students have encountered double binds for example when they are told they must pass the AIMS to graduate to show that they can demonstrate the necessary knowledge of high school standards in their sophomore year yet they must take 22 credit hours as well. Well that means we are sending the message that you need to know everything until your sophomore year but we want to keep you here for another two years.
Effects of the double binds are that they send mixed messages to the teachers and students. Statements of contradiction make your mind focus on one side of the double bind. The implications of the double blinds are that the state department does not know what it is doing and in turn students are confused as to what their goal should be.
Double binds can stimulate creativity because they put an amount of pressure, stress or feeling of urgent necessity on you to find a way to accomplish your goals. It is almost like telling someone they can’t do something so they work harder to prove you wrong.
