Children are persons. Love of learning. Stories. Conversation. Atmosphere. Discipline of habit. Life of ideas. Truth. Goodness. Beauty. These ideas, embodied within the philosophy of education I endeavour to practice, draw many hurting but hopeful families and students. These ideas draw people like a radiant rainbow on a dark and stormy day. I was no different. A mother of young children at the time, searching for a method of educating my children that would nourish and breathe life into our hearts, minds and family life, I too was initially drawn to these ideas and the seeds of hope and life they held. Like any seed, it takes time to cultivate and grow. The growth sometimes requires pruning and a letting go of old ways. Plants, flowers, fruits all require time and care, understanding and wisdom, courage and patience.
Plants flower and fruit in their right season. The path of education for parents, teachers, and students is no different. The path of learning also requires time and care, understanding and wisdom, courage and patience. It has been my experience, as a teacher of teens, that many students who have experienced significant difficulties in a mainstream educational setting flock to these ideas as a last hope, believing that somehow just being in an educational setting that endeavours to practice these ideas will automatically make those difficulties disappear. It doesn't. But, if those families and students are willing to be patient, to step into this atmosphere of learning and embrace the disciplines of habit that are needed to grow a love of learning, respectful conversation, then positive growth slowly becomes evident. Teens who experience learning difficulties, mental health challenges, emotional difficulties and social challenges are increasing in number and severity. I have begun to wonder if there is a correlation to our post-modern lifestyles and culture, but that is a topic for another time. My concern, as a teacher, is with those teens with these challenges who join my classroom, hurting, burnt out, frustrated, anxious and feeling dumb. It all begins with accepting each student as they are. That student is a person with everything he/she needs to live a full life, challenges included. You begin with where they are at and take small steps each day. You accept that they may be talkative, impulsive, a slower reader, an uncomfortable writer, for example. At this point it doesn't matter if there is an official diagnosis for them. You simply accept where they are at and grow from there. Helping your students develop, and understand, the skills of learning and personal growth are available to them. They may have trouble focusing but that doesn't mean they are dumb. It simply means they need to find a way to develop the skill of attention and the teacher can coach them in that skill area. Gently and patiently with small, achievable steps for that student. What delight we experience when joy dawns in realisation that their skill in attention has helped them remember and make connections between areas of knowledge and life. The place of sharing stories and conversation opens up new doors to experience reading and learning. Students may read at their own pace and share what they remember and connect with. In this they learn that their own thoughts matter and they learn to listen the ideas of their fellow students with respect. They learn to consider their response and their ideas and slowly learning the skills of reading deeply and thoughtfully. Within these ideas of education lie an expectation that every students is capable of learning and growing in character, skill, knowledge and understanding. Yet these expectations are embodied within the gentle arts of habit training, reading, conversation. I think this balance helps to diffuse anxiety, encourage growth, and help students realise they are capable of learning and solving their own problems. These simple observations cause me to wonder if education itself can form a part of the healing and recovery process for students with various challenges. Is it possible these gentle arts of learning and teaching can be life giving for students and hold out a promise of hope?
0 Comments
Burnished gold morning.
Trees tall, branches reach daylight, Green leaves dancing fire. Armed with my (very) short list of publishers and agents who are currently accepting unsolicited manuscripts from unpublished writers, I begin. Armed with warnings of rejections and the unforgiving and competitive nature of the publishing industry I nevertheless take the plunge.
Will I swim or will I sink? Will the Kookaburra's in my backyard sing of my success or laugh at my demise? Let's find out shall we?
|
|