Monday, July 3, 2017

Only You Can Prevent Autonomy: Mindful Freedom

There is a great propaganda poster from the video game Fallout, "Only you can prevent corporate espionage." There is a copy hanging in my bedroom at my daughters house in Albuquerque. I have been glancing at it on and off for a day now, almost mesmerized by its levels of application to education. Corporate espionage, the theft of trade secrets, copying or recording confidential information, all for the purpose of using it against your competition. This got me thinking, in education there is very little need for 'espionage' because teachers, more often than not, have free and fair trade of information, sharing ideas and lessons openly on social media and locally at our schools. It has been awhile since I have run into a teacher that is secretive and possessive of their instructional techniques or strategies. If a teacher is growth minded and more importantly open-minded this practice of collaboration would eliminate the need for any back hand dealings. But the idea of feeling the need to do so, having the anxiety or frustration that causes you to actually undermine a colleague or fellow student, this is what perplexes me.

Preparing new teachers seems like an easy discipline. Put them in a classroom, taught by former teachers, give them tests on what they know and if they do well, send them into classrooms where they can observe teachers doing what they love- teaching. You would think this would be the best way to prepare people to become educators. But, I have seen time and time again, student-teachers burn out and fall short of expectations in their compulsory education year and then step into a classroom completely unprepared. It is one thing to tell and another to show. Often the teachers that receive student-teachers as their interns are very regimented and possessive of their classrooms and the student-teachers are more errand runners than educators: making copies, organizing and grading papers and not actually teaching. How very unrealistic. I had a student teacher frequently in Georgia almost every year, but here in Texas I have not had one. I am a little radical and maybe they are afraid to have a student-teacher learn the skills of autonomy- I don't know. But, at my school, without fail, student teachers are placed with traditional and in the box teachers. I find this sad and very limiting. Aren't we trying to progress education, bring in fresh blood and innovative educators? I can see why some new teachers may feel the need to take the secrets of others, use 'espionage' like measures or remain isolated, unfortunately they lack the independence to implement their own ideas.

Autonomy, freedom to think for oneself, independence of thought, not just flexible seating or choice of demonstration of knowledge, are necessary in a student-centered classroom for sure. However, many teachers feel that if they have these implemented into their classroom design, they have created a student-centered classroom and they can keep control over the rest. These are the classrooms most of our student-teachers are training in. A student-centered classroom has many layers of depth and this leads it to feel more like home than school. This concept scares many teachers, causing them to hold back a little. The ability to not just move and collaborate but to be forced to think for themselves is what truly forms a classroom of self-determination and the absence of sovereignty. Freedom of thought and ideas does not mean chaos and anarchy. Although, many teachers fear it is. If students are presented with opportunities to lead themselves, monitor their own behavior, and collaborate towards common goals- they will do so with the utmost integrity and responsibility. This is not a fantasy but a reality- I see it daily.

Exemption of instant grades, substituted with a continual flow of growth is a critical component of a student-led arena. Leeway of process, immunity of judgement and the breaking down of barriers between students and teachers are significant and integral to the learning environment. Finally, underlining all of this is privilege, and this prerogative can be taken away. If students understand, day one of class, that their personal autonomy requires respect, responsibility and mindfulness, they will participate and interact mindfully. Students want to belong, they want to be accepted, they want to feel safe and have fun while they learn. If they trust their teacher and one another this will become the atmosphere of the classroom. There will be no need for espionage or reconnaissance missions because there will be a synergy, a collective thought and action that every student will long to be a part of. Mindful freedom will be the norm and teachers will feel secure in the fact that learning is happening, growth is imminent and behavior is on-track and considerate. Thus, creating an energetic atmosphere, full of intrigue and interest, not an obedient, submissive one is paramount. Give students the ownership, build trust and model mindfulness and vigilance and you can prevent dependence, indifference and compliance.

Only you can prevent autonomy in your classroom. As teachers we can hinder this by putting too much of our own needs before those of our students. Especially the need to feel in control. The need to keep things on track and progress every moment of the day is unreasonable. It should be an expectation that things will not go according to plan. If we place the ownership and responsibility of learning in the hands of our students, they will adapt, accommodate and alter their personal learning plans as necessary. Children are very self-sufficient and motivated when they feel in charge. With confidence and eagerness, even the most distracting and disorienting of modifications will be handled with ease. They will simply tinker, tweak and twist to make things work. Behavior will not go astray if we let our students self-monitor and implement mindfulness techniques. Students will model and others will follow their lead, how do I know? I see it every day. Student-centered, self-thinking, independent classrooms create autonomous individuals who can deal with the upsets of life. Teach them adjustment and cognizance and a community will naturally evolve: one free of isolation, subversion and mischief and full of compassion, participation and joy.

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