Reflection: A Simple Formula

​As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that I have been taking the time to think and reflect about current teaching observations. Sometimes there is so much chaos because of differing opinions, voices, and noise. I find it difficult to think and to find the stillness, or some sort of order within the mind. This is why I am grateful for this moment, as I simply put the pen to paper, to be still, to think, and sort through my thoughts. This is what happens when there are too many thoughts, there becomes confusion.

     Whilst I am a sincere advocate for the human voice, what happens when there are too many voices, too many cross firing opinions? There is confusion. We can take these thoughts and relate them to a concrete example: If we are teaching a certain piece of knowledge within the classroom environment, what happens when you invite another person into the classroom to teach similar material? The student becomes confused, although the teaching material is similar, teaching styles, and what the educators desired goals are for achievement may differ. Also as we invite different voices, we have to be mindful of what, and how much knowledge we want, or allow to be shared.

     Knowledge is powerful, especially that of the social sciences. I have always considered the knowledge of the Social Sciences to be sacred, just as a Holy religious text, or materials that are seen to have a very high ranking or value. Because knowledge can either be used for the good: to instill and share good habits, and also for harm, as knowledge can be purposely used to harm individuals. This is where there must be care, so not to spread knowledge to poison. Educators must remember even if we want to encourage students to learn, ask the question: Is it age appropriate? How much information should be shared? How is this learning going to compliment what is being learned, the keyword here is compliment.

     For the purposes of my writing I will use the example of Psychological knowledge. This subject is complex. Topics are to be shared incrementally. The knowledge will be learned, but we have to ask: how is the student going to be, going to carry him / herself with the material learned? Will it be used for the good, or to hurt and harm? This thought does not only apply to students, but I will also extend to the teachers / educators. How are you "being" with the knowledge that you carry? Learning and the carrying of knowledge requires a type of humble humility. If the end result of this accumulation is to used to play with human lives, then simply put, the acquisition of this learning / knowledge has become poison. Which is why I write, which is why I share the thought:

     Learning is a flow, it becomes disrupted when there are too many voices presenting the same material, confusion follows. Student voice, choice, and success can, and will happen when educators are on the same page. This does not necessarily mean that there will not be dis-agreements. Yet, it does and should mean that: When in a shared classroom the educators in the room, must be on the page. Any disagreements in front of the students does not only send a message to the students about the educator, it will also increase confusion, and the erosion and corrosion of trust. Without creating trust in the learning environment, there will simply be student bodies with in - put and out - put.  The same can be said about the educators in a shared space, the simple founding formula is trust.

​Dedication: These words are dedicated to the students, and the human brain. Your brain is a beautiful flower. Educators please water these with love and kindness. My thoughts to share, with love & kindness! :)   

These thoughts were originally hand - written in May 13th, 2017.
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