Think Big, Start Small: Be Ready for the Slump

Height Gives Perspective

You are at the precipice, the top of the incline. Peering out over the landscape, just before, the wheels unlock and you plummet. The metal wheels clattering against wood, making an exhilarating sound, like no other. There are screams of joy, with a little fear mixed in. Cheers of utter helplessness and happiness. Everyone on board, succumbs to gravity and acceleration and the ride of their lives.

Anticipate it, plan for it, don't counter act it. Don't get locked in phase. Keep the wheels well-oiled and the friction at a minimum. Lean in to the surge. Ride the peaks and valleys, arms held high, air whipping against your face. Tears rolling down your cheeks, as the tempest, gusts against your skin. It is awakening something inside. That inner child that you keep hidden, as you traverse adulthood. But, it is these moments, these fractional releases, that keep us motivated to continue.

As we near the end of the school year, classrooms tend to slow in their intensity. Becoming merry-go-rounds rather than roller-coasters. As educators, we can't settle in for the commute.  We need to buckle up for the turns, whirls and bumps. We as teachers, will get jostled and rattled and bounced. We need to lean in, and turn with the motion. Students need to feel the pace increase, the potential energy climb, this time of year. They need to know that our expectations are still high and that the kinetic, energetic, stimulating lessons are still approaching.

Students are beginning to mentally, seek other ways of entertainment. They are hyped and ready to go into their extended holiday. Their feet are in motion, scuffing the ground rapidly, like an animated character, trying to get traction before speeding off. How can we slow their escape? More importantly, how can we create a fun environment, an amusement park, if you will, so they do not want to?

Minor changes, Major Results

Anticipate. Exhaustion from standardized tests, final exams, and end of the year projects, is a heavy fog. It is unavoidable. But, it is easily lifted if we create provocative activities for our students. Toss aside the worksheets and videos, many tend to put forward, as a result of fatigue and debility. Let's give the copier a respite and engage with mobility and challenge. Let's start the climb, can you hear it...click click...rattle...rattle as the the car clatters up the incline?

Here are a few quick enterprises, I use to joggle my students out of their stupor.

1. I erase the board and turn it into a graffiti wall. Let students draw cartoons of vocabulary and concepts. I let them interact on a giant, colorful mural.

2. I use the furniture. Under each chair or desk, I place a question. Then hide the answers around the room. But rather than having the answers written out, I have a rebus or picto-gram they have to decipher.

3. As a brain break- I play a zombie song or the theme from Walking Dead and play zombie musical chairs. The last zombie, scuffling, has to review the days concept to the class.

4. A little candy, goes a long way. I rarely hand out candy. It's just not my thing. But, at the end of the year, during our PBL on Texas Eco-regions, I use the anticipation of king-sized candy bars as an incentive to keep the competitiveness alive. I like to end the year with a PBL, it is a great way to keep them collaborative and engaged.

Trough to Peak

Project based learning can be dull and boring. When the topic is mundane, students do not feel a connection. Texas Eco-regions is a topic that for my students, tends not to be an exciting one. We just finished a unit on ecosystems and catastrophic events and they are a little burned out on Ecology. So every year, I jazz things up by taking it in a different direction.

Thursday, I showed a 4 minute video that summed up all of the eco-regions of Texas brief descriptions- quick being key. Then I asked two questions: Which one sounds the most exciting to you- where would you like to live, other than Houston if you could? and How are these eco-regions unique? We talked for about twenty minutes. The conversation was awesome and they had a lot to say, as most of them have traveled around Texas and lived here for awhile. They may not have been familiar with the eco-regions themselves but they knew where the major cities were and the climates etc. Then I had them draw a region from a hat. Each pair or group of three, got a different region. Then I said: "I am an investor with a lot of money. I want to build my manufacturing company in Texas. I want to invest and build not only a company, but a home for my family. "Sell" me your region. Tell me the outdoor activities, the environmental characteristics, tourism attractions etc. How much rainfall, safety and weather concerns etc. Make me want to invest there."

The team who convinces me through a great presentation and "pitch" gets the prize, a king sized candy bar. One winning team per class. This got them motivated really fast. I provided laptops and I-pads and off they went, researching and drawing, they even made name placards for their desks. No poster or visual required, but recommended to create a better "pitch." They will have 4 full class periods to complete. Then on May 3rd, I will put all my tables in a giant circle facing each other and each region will take a spot, put placards up, attach posters, to the fronts of the tables, and make their 'pitch.'

Each eco-region will have 3 minutes to "pitch" me their region.  After they 'pitch' each team will have 2 more minutes to explain why they are better than the other eco-regions. Why I should move to their eco-region and not the others. They have to do this using data collected from the presentations. Hard evidence to counter one another. Then I will choose the one I feel has the best to offer, based on their enthusiasm and research. This PBL gets them arguing, collaborating, and very focused on doing a great job. They get mobile and interactive and because they have to debate one another, they really have to listen to each others 'pitch.'

Trough to peak.

Rolling in to the Station

This time of year, teachers and students both need motivation waves. Peripheral tasks that peak interest. Wins needn't be large, but they need to be frequent. Teachers need to provide opportunities for high probability growth and incremental successes. We have to make daunting tasks more attainable. We need to make learning the focus and keep our activities purposeful, but more importantly, approachable. If we hand them a worksheet, or play a video, they will not feel the urgency or the energy needed, for the final approach.

At the end of the day, it is important, as a class, to record daily 'dones'. Have students reflect and monitor their level of commitment and motivation. If together, teachers and students chart their progress and achievements, they can eliminate unnecessary frustration and doubt. Standardized tests, final exams, and end of the year projects are overwhelming for students. Our students, are being bogged down with a lot of work and pressure. We can help them feel more secure, if we keep an open dialogue and keep things light.

There needs to be a sense of urgency, this is helpful. Students and teachers need to feel the tick...tick...tick, before the boom, of the last bell of the year. But, we do not need to add undue stress. We should be tempering the glass. Getting more flexible, so when we hike the incline, we are more calm and prepared for the sudden drop. That is what makes learning exciting. Knowing where we are going, but being surprised each time, we get aboard the roller-coaster. The ride may be familiar, the speed consistent, but each time we slowly rise, to the precipice our anticipation and engagement varies. It is this variance that makes each excursion, each expedition, each carousal saunter, personal and meaningful.

The Nature of Consciousness: Butterflies and Metamorphosis

Butterflies

It is ridiculous to try and be something you are not. I live in a haberdashery – a warm hatchery of creativity and cleverness. We all do. It is my garden of butterflies- each floating effortless around me, their vibrancy luring me to a sense of calm. Our minds are unique, so much so, that even a distinguishable shade or hue of color, is interpreted and appreciated, in various ways. 

What is one person’s melody is another’s noise. In our minds we see what we want to see and ignore the rest. We open ourselves up to challenge and risk taking and close ourselves off, to other opportunities. Flickers become distractions only if we do not look at them head on. I close my eyes tight and let the fireflies return, throughout the day.

But the fireflies, like my nightly conquests, are temporary in my conscious framework. They twinkle and vibrate just long enough to make an impact. Like dragonflies, they live most of their existence as nymphs: remaining flightless. They stir up within me, an unwavering inducement to become better. Embrace change. Endure loneliness and anger. All, in order to, have my genesis. To feel the surge of life and purpose. To allow me to regenerate and contemplate. Believe in myself. Knowing unequivocally that I will escape the vessel.

Metamorphosis

We all have our ethereal moments when we awaken, and reality hasn’t set in. We have glimpses of light, sparkling off glass. We have a glimmer of something bigger, a place we know is safe. We long for it. We seek it. Awake we do not see the glistening mirage of our slumber. But, when we lie down, in our quiet, nightly utopia, we are back, in an instant. 

That must be enough. There is a reason I can’t remember- dreams are a guide, not a verbal or visual one, but an emotional one. It is the feeling that is important, not the specifics. These beautiful images are the prologue to the novel of my day. The gentle nudge that memory takes when it, silently makes connections. When it reveals my mistakes and shows me how to fix them. 

We all have a version of that jar, the chalice both elegant and constricting. It is an enclosure of security and memory. Consistency and hope. But, other times for me I feel trapped and no matter how hard I scrape the glass, I remain in my trappings, the prison I create for myself. But, alas, most often, I find the lid ajar and feel the cool summer breeze, lifting me into the sky. Freeing me from the restraints of self-doubt.

These is my fireflies transforming themselves to dragonflies and ultimately, butterflies. Perspective often triumphs, when the fear I feel, is not given a name. I can then look at it head on and dismantle it. Then, a metamorphosis inevitably occurs.  The message is illuminated and from the recesses, truth. Like fireflies, once caught and placed in a shiny urn, the negative thoughts extinguish.  

But, I find if my mind is faster than the hand of uncertainty, can out run its grasp, my aspirations become colorful and quick butterflies.  They brighten the sky for myself and for others. They become the luminescence that makes summer nights so memorable. They remain the flicker that reminds me to stay mindful, the spark that brings curiosity and determination, the glimmer that makes me who I am.  

The Nature of Consciousness: Fireflies to Dragonflies

Fireflies

You know that moment when you squeeze, your closed eyes tight and you see the yellow fireflies? The bright flashing lights in the darkness, of your eye lids. They are fleeting, yet numerous.  My mind, much like the sparkles of this phenomenon, is a Mason Jar, filled with fireflies, a thousand fragile, luminescent flickers. Each bouncing off the sides in a desperate attempt to escape.

The translucent glass both a hindrance and a realization, that everything I conjure up, will not come to fruition. Most of them get trapped and flutter-less, fall to the bottom. Just like at the beginning of a summer evening, these fireflies, these specks of stardust, seem welcoming and exciting, but by morning, they are dust. Untwisting the lid, allows them to drift back into the curling, humid air. Each speck, no longer speaking the language of light. Once trapped and effervescent, now dim and forgotten.

Night-time is the time when my thoughts become electric, energetic and convincing. They are salesman, each evoking a sense of “I must have that.” Reminding me that this is a one time offer. For a limited time only. Buy one, get one free. But they are fleeting. I am so tired, I can’t scrounge enough effort to write them down.” I will remember them in the morning”, I tell myself. To no avail. I can recall sporadic flashes of genius- but they are so cryptic, that I can’t decipher them. Jumbled and blurry, as I awake, they coat my tongue with a filmy slime, forcing me to brush my teeth. But, in that fresh, minty moment, I hear them, trying to break free. The fireflies- ting, ting, clink, against the thick, impenetrable glass of dreamland.

Dragonflies

“The dragonfly, in almost every part of the world symbolizes change and change in the perspective of self-realization; and the kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life.” -Dragonflywebsite.com

If I concentrate deep enough and long enough, these specks of creativity, become dragonflies. Now agile, these ideas can travel in all six directions. Their wingspan increases, they no longer fit in the bottle. They take shape. They carry a contemplation to chase mistakes. A desire to scrutinize my subtle imperfections. These once ephemeral gleams, have now become dazzling auras of cognizance. I stare in the mirror, the fog lifts. The clarity drifts in, like steam evaporating.

The sound of people, replaces the silence and seems to free me from the loop, of recognition and rumination. I hear a weird fret, the reverberation, a stabbing sensation of “I gotta fix that.” But what? A barrage of images, in rapid succession, almost blind me. I settle in for the ride, desperately trying to take hold, of at least one.

I feel a tug, a nagging, organic, simplification of melody and lyric. The hollow hum becomes a crisp chord. It carries me, to the realization that this ‘lost’ ideation is purposeful. It focuses me more on the songwriting, rather than the execution of the notes. It is from the miasma, that my creativity surfaces. Swirling on the mist, switching order, formulating a new plan. Nothing is concise, yet everything makes sense.

I accept that, I do not always need to be the drummer, the machine that propels the knowledge. I do not always have to be the heartbeat, of ingenuity. I grasp for the cadence of memory. Something whispered a secret to me last night. I try to lock on to the sound. But the jolt to my momentum, shrinks the vastness, until there is simply a jar, closing in around me. Shadow creeps, yet darkness is not scary or evil. It is simply a closure, of the rhythm. The last strum of the guitar.

When I close my eyes and slip into my dreamland, I imagine myself floating like a feather, listening to the perfect song, hanging with my friends from high-school- I believe I am there, if only briefly. I want to be there more than anything, as I release my energy and become dormant for the night. I want to remember, where I've journeyed to, yet when the thoughts of the day and my intentions for my actions, come in to focus, I lose the fireflies, the stardust that created the beautiful circumstances, of my nightly imaginations. 

I set my dragonflies free. Releasing those feelings that once weighed me down, allowing them to finally take flight. Each fueling my vision and inventiveness, even if I don’t remember why. They shape my artistry and mold my imagery. I sense it, feel it in my bones. This perception, reflex, awareness, guides me for the rest of the day.

Until....my butterfly breaks free

Hubris to Humility: Practical Rebellion is Born

When we are good at something, we have a certain level of hubris. I know mine, rears its ugly head at times. When we put in our 10,000 hours, we often carry the audacity and chutzpah, like a badge of honor. We whisper to ourselves, "I am now an expert." What does expertise mean? Competency, proficiency, readiness. But, for many, it becomes a certain level of finesse and mastery, that often leads to self-importance. A sense of completion that can leave one stale and stagnate. If one feels they have conquered the beast, they raise shield and sword, as if to say I am undefeated.

A reinvention need not occur. Simply, a recognition of this presumption, is all that is required, to break through the ostentation. A mirror, is only bad luck if it is broken. If held up to reflect our flaws and see our strengths, it is personal wizardry, causing a shift in perspective. There is no magic moment, where this transformation takes place. The false confidence and determination, slowly gets displaced by wisdom. This wisdom, the gravitas to reflect, on experience and welcome the tension of testing yourself, challenging yourself and saying, 'it’s my fault,' when things do not go according to plan.

For me personally, it means taking the imagery and confluence of allegory and prose and condensing them to a practical framework. Writing both, as myself, keeping the artistry of words alive but contained to a more allegorical blog. While creating a new, more matter-of-fact, nuts and bolts blog, to share the day to day trials and tribulations of teaching from the arena floor. Not every spectator is on their feet to praise, many are there to shout, “take them down.” But, with each successful swing of the blade, a doubtful voice is silenced.

Having the diagnostic skill to understand what’s wrong, can only come with a shrewd introspection. You must get in the scene, when you are observing with a long lens, you are eavesdropping, you feel distant and disconnected. It gets completely real, when you are surrounded by innovation and greatness. Then, you are in that moment, walking out into the arena, fearful of the ensuing havoc. You are now participating. Growth does not occur from observation, but rather from doing and critiquing. Reflecting and being honest, brutally honest with yourself.

Not standing, in the bustling crowd, cheering and observing, but firmly planting yourself, on the sturdy, well-traversed dirt, of the arena floor.  There have been many battles here, sword to sword, shield to shield. Some won, some lost, but always a campaign for betterment. Each, a crusade fought for the sole purpose of progress. Listening in a profile, close quarters position, rather than from a wide shot, means a shift in ownership.

What is private property in the morning on the way to work, becomes public property the moment the bell rings. You as a teacher, are always the host, never the guest. It is your responsibility as such, to create a certain ambiance, tone, for the 'space' where your guests feel comfortable and engaged. For a party is only as successful as its components: music, food, conversation. In a classroom: intention and obstacle. Engagement requires good writing, appropriate staging, performance and presence. In other words, a flexible and thoughtful plan.

This new blog- will be my venue for purposeful, practical rebellion. Less symbolism and more substance. Straightforward, specific strategies. I will leave my emblematic exposition to iteacher imother.

I have been reading many amazing blogs lately, each focused not only on purpose and relevance, but also practicality. The pragmatic, functional, workable frame of reference that, we as educators are searching for. This blog will be all about that, a minimalist journal of sensible, down-to-earth strategies, that work. The activities and lessons, I have used, repeatedly, tweaked and adapted year after year. But also, the crazy new ideas, I incorporate on the fly.

These are what I seek when I read the fantastic blogs of my PLN. You have all inspired me to ‘up my game.’

Thank you for inspiring me to displace some of my hubris and welcome a little more humility. Wisdom is acquired not merely by personal growth, but by interacting with and absorbing some creativity and mindfulness from others. My cup runneth over my friends.

Practical Rebellion: Hubris to Humility: My Practical Rebellion is Born... http://mypracticalrebellion.blogspot.com/2018/04/hubris-to-humility-my-practical.html?spref=tw

Prolonged Phase of Inertia: Overcoming the Drag

The Big Bang

As a child, growing up with Dyslexia, in the 1970's, I did not find school fun. Nor, did learning come easy for me. The standard classroom set up was, desks in rows, teacher at the front lecturing, students taking notes, and then a worksheet for homework. This was pretty much a standard routine, in all of my classes. We had some labs in science, albeit, a cookie cutter one, with step by step instructions, leaving no room for deviation or discovery. This regiment of learning is exhausting for any child, even more so, for one struggling with Dyslexia.

I had to adjust to my disability quickly, my teachers were not going to repeat the notes and they expected me to take thorough ones. They checked them at the end of class. This generally put me in a tail-spin, because I was so focused on trying to take notes, that I missed 1/3 of everything they were saying. Needless to say, I didn't get good grades. I was a left-handed, Dyslexic student, sitting at a right-handed desk (there were no left-handed desks), who was expected to write quickly, understand content the first time, and most importantly, to not ask questions. My teachers hated it when we asked questions. So adjusting, became my middle name. Basically, I faked it.

I scribbled some nonsense down, as my teachers were direct teaching and added some numbers and drawings, for good measure. My notes never made sense, but because the teacher had to check 30 sets of them, by scanning not reading, I learned quickly, how to cheat the system. This got my teacher off my back, but it sunk me into a deep hole of despair. I had zero notes and no way to get the information, except to read the textbook. I was a slow reader and it took me hours to read one chapter. This would get me a glare and disapproving comment, from my mother, who thought I was playing around, rather than doing my homework. Except, I was doing my homework. What took most kids 30-40 minutes to complete, took me 2-3 hours. I rarely completed my homework, because I spent all my time reading the textbook, to get the notes, I was missing out on, in class. Vicious circle. Brutal epiphany.

Expansion

I had to change my tactics. By middle-school, I had mastered the art of note-taking. It took me a little longer, to become a ferocious reader, but once I did, the world was my oyster. Now, I read every day and it has become a joy for me. I just finished an amazing book. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. In his book, he explains that we all have natural talents, skills we excel at, those that come easily to us. They are the tasks we enjoy, because we don't have to think about them much. We just lean in and do them. We may improve our craft, broaden our skill base. But, in this case, we are adding accomplishments and comprehension, to an already firm foundation. Capitalization learning occurs when we are fortifying knowledge, strengthening our technique and expanding our command of information.

Gladwell compares capitalization learning with compensation learning, which occurs when we are weak in one area and are trying to fix it. For instance with Dyslexic students, like myself, we tend to become great listeners, because we often struggle with reading, this is an attribute that has helped me a lot in my adult life. I do not have to focus, on detailed note-taking, rather simply listening intently and I remember most, of any lecture. A task that you labor with, like reading, can be beneficial, a desirable difficulty, forcing you to adapt to note-taking and reading difficult textbooks, by concentrating on spoken rather than written words. Or, it may cause some detrimental results, like when we give up on a task or project, out of irritation and exhaustion. Which, ultimately, leads to self-doubt and low self-esteem.

Compensation learning is difficult and arduous. Frustrating and prolonged. But, with determination and momentum, we can move past the inertia and eliminate the lack of friction that is slowing our pace. However, before we can overcome our obstacles, we have to accept that we have limitations and find strategies to minimize them. This can be difficult for students. They may not understand why they are not successful in a class, even when they are doing all their homework. Why they study hours for a test, yet still fail it. This is why building relationships with our students is essential. When we truly understand how our students learn, we can design lessons that best match their skill-set. But, when we know how they think, what makes them tick, we know how challenging we can make our activities. We recognize when they are shutting down and tuning out, before they do. So, we have counter-measures in place, to break those prolonged phases of inertia. We have thrusters at the ready, to give the burst of energy needed, to redirect their course. The more we listen, the more we can help our students. We have to make sure students reflect and understand how they think. We have to help them see their limitations, but rather than succumb to them, use them as desirable difficulties rather than determining factors.

Galaxy Stabilized

I was attending elementary school before Dyslexia was recognized and treated. But, I can tell you the experience of being misunderstood and labelled as an underachiever, turned out to be for me, very much desirable difficulties, because they pushed me to become a good listener and independent thinker. I had to find my own strategies to compensate for my interruptions. I call them interruptions because they started as prolonged inertia, a halting of my learning, but over-time became brief setbacks. Slight alterations to my plans. I had to study harder in college (I graduated with my first Bachelor's before computers or the Internet). I had to make sure I could stream-line my notes, basically use short-hand, because in the massive lecture halls at UCLA, professors were not going to repeat themselves or answer questions. I had to acquire new skills. These new skills, let’s call them, the grease on my wheels, have allowed me to maintain my course. Dyslexia is permanent, but the adversities are beatable- we just have to generate enough power to overcome the drag.

Create a safe-haven: both stable and nuanced. Be active: in listening and interacting. Understand the dilemma inside a child's mind. Their struggles. Their inconsistencies. Start the spin and let gravity take over. Create a place where uniqueness and failure are welcomed. Where challenges are accepted. This is when a galaxy forms. It expands with the voices of dissension and disturbance. Until finally, it holds its place, forms its expansive shape and yields to the nature of gravity. Gravity, the force of interaction and collaboration. When teachers and students cooperate, no one gets left behind.

Call Me Maybe? The Importance of Communication

Human Nature

We have all been guilty of it, at one time or another: miscommunication. We have all been at the receiving end as well. It is a part of human nature to speak, without thinking our thoughts through. We react quickly, far often more than we, slow down and process new information, before we respond. It is not only misperception and befuddlement that spoils an otherwise pleasant conversation. It is our ego-centric view. Our self-centeredness. 

Yet, our personal approach of self-preservation is a necessary component of our humanity. So how can we avoid it? It is built into our survival instincts. We can’t entirely. We can lessen its stronghold, be more generous and self-less. But, for most of us, our survival instincts are permanent and thank goodness. But, with a concerted effort we can be more mindful of this and make adjustments accordingly.

Another aspect of human nature is communication. The need to be heard and understood is ingrained, so deeply within us, that when we become isolated or disenfranchised, we feel lost. More impacting though, is when we need information and it is withheld or omitted. This stings. Especially when it would have been a very easy gesture, to have been included in the transfer of information. Whether deliberate or accidental, it can still be an overwhelming blow to both ego and relationships.

Hello? Is Anybody Out There?

This week, I have seen many situations directed toward me or others, where assumptions have been made and lapse in correspondence has occurred. Intercommunication, especially in the field of education, is vital if we are to do what is best for every student. Collaboration and exchange of ideas is what makes this field, so progressive and adaptive. But, daily dissemination of details and data is critical. Without it, students can fall in the gaps. Even more so, teachers can feel vulnerable and debilitated.

I am a pretty calm and flexible individual. I listen intently, honestly, because I do not want to miss anything or be left out. I want to figure out how to help people, make sure everyone has a voice. If something goes amiss, I am quick to adjust. But, if you know that something is amiss and neglect to give me a heads up, this is both frustrating and unfair. Whether deliberate or not, it is unjust. We all want to make sure things are going smoothly for our students. The only way to make sure there is cohesion and consistency is to have common goals and uniform expectations. If decisions are made without a consensus, this can’t happen. It is very easy to keep the flow of information, open and directed. It just takes a mindful spirit and a considerate mindset.

Change comes not from a singular view, but a communal uprising of commonality, of judgment and action. When we talk to one another, actually listen, we see the big picture. We visualize, how all of us carries a vision that when combined, creates a landscape of progress and growth. Listen for the distress calls and every ship will make it back to shore safely. Be a beacon of hope and even the roughest of seas, will be calm enough, for everyone to reach the shore.

I Am Right Here, Good Morning Friend

It just takes observation and consideration. Every day, we need to pause, listen and make sure that everyone around us, feels a part of the community. It is our human nature to want to belong, to feel connected, and to be respected. When we are, the community thrives and can handle any upset that comes its way. When our teacher growth-mindset meets mindfulness, the possibilities are endless.

As a person who has miscommunicated, I know that my words speak as loud as my actions. As an individual who has been ignored, disregarded and passed over, I ask everyone, to remember to be cognizant and considerate, of the basic human need to be accepted and included. To step outside your classrooms and actively seek an audience, with those around you. You never know who needs your kindness and generosity, the most today. A single word of encouragement, a genuine smile, can change an outlook.

Listening as a Student Not as a Teacher: The Glass becomes Clearer: The Light Gets More Focused (Part 3)

Listen as a student not as a teacher. See the reflection, diffraction and refraction, as they do. When we as educators slow our own wavelength, sit atop the crest and just observe, quietly, we see things we would never encounter otherwise. The glass becomes clearer, when we take the time to polish our craft. The light gets more focused when we design the learning environment, to be student-driven. When curiosity and desire is not planted but discovered, solidification occurs. When students are the light, guided by their own decisions, their wavelength strengthens and focuses. This is when true learning takes place. 


Let students know that you don’t have all the answers.

As teachers and parents, we all want what’s best for our children. Empowering students, letting them discover their own answers is important. But, just as critical, is teaching the skill to be able to communicate, their ideas to others. If we can get students curious about a topic, they will teach themselves more than we ever could. If the door is opened, allowing the wave to enter freely, it will continue unhindered. It will bounce off new ideas, observe and embrace creative outlooks, and it will seek new opportunities, to extend itself and grow in strength and speed.

A wave doesn't just stop when it reaches the end of a medium. Rather, a wave will undergo certain behaviors when it encounters the end of the medium. Specifically, there will be some reflection, off the boundary and some transmission, into the new medium. Hence, an exchange of objectives, interpretation and viewpoint. This is why we must teach our students, our children, to think for themselves. We try our best to shield them from the blindness of fake news and pure malignancy of thought, but particles of propaganda and scattering of speculation, will occur. All we can do is help them sift through it. Give them the proper sunglasses to lessen the blindness, amidst the solar flare, of insight.  

New significant designs and beliefs are emerging every day. As teachers, we must admit to ourselves and to our students that with the influx of opinion, concept and advice, we do not have all the answers. Theories change. Messages become garbled. Wisdom becomes flawed. We have to continually update our schema, our knowledge base. We have to tell our students, that we as adults, do not have all the answers. But, more importantly that our interpretation of the facts, may vary from theirs. That our circumstance and outlook is unique, as is their own. Freedom for children and students alike, comes from the enlightenment that our thoughts and beliefs, will be accepted as they are. That our voice is important. That our wavelength may bend, but its amplitude and magnitude is dependent on our choices.

Question everything and encourage them to do the same.

The transmitted wave undergoes refraction (or bending) if it approaches the boundary at an angle. We need to provide strategies for our students in order for them to basically, step aside and let the misinformation and falsehoods travel past them. But, we need to reinforce that all information is important- fact or fiction, truth or lies, opinion and doctrine. We do not have to accept, but we must listen, each layer is a clue, a piece of the puzzle. We must construct our foundation, not on ignorance of alternatives, but on the strength of individuality. Provide choice and time to process and our students will thrive in this area.

If the boundary between points of view, is merely an obstacle implanted within the medium, and if the dimensions of the obstacle are smaller than the wavelength, of the wave, then there will be very noticeable diffraction of the wave around the object. If we help our students expand their wavelength by honing their intuition, and becoming more discernible, of their research, we can get them to form their own perceptions and build their own acumen of the truth. We can help them to question everything. Questioning is not being contrary, nor is it being discourteous. It is being mindful of yourself. Truth is personal. To find personal actuality, you must have all the details, available to you.

Force students to make their own choices.

One characteristic of wave reflection is that the angle at which the wave approaches a flat reflecting surface, is equal to the angle, at which the wave leaves the surface. The reflection of light waves off of a mirrored surface, results in the formation of an image. It is critical for us as teachers and parents, to not be standing in the mirror as the reflection occurs. To not project on our children, our beliefs, as being infallible and unquestionable. They are looking for us to provide the answers. But, what we have to do is to, step out of the way and force them to form their own conclusions. Make their own mistakes. One characteristic of wave reflection, is that the angle at which the wave approaches a flat reflecting surface, is equal to the angle at which the wave leaves the surface. Let students decide the angle and the outcome will be decided on their input and judgment, not on ours.

A wave will bend one way when it passes from a medium in which it travels slowly, into a medium in which it travels fast; and if moving from a fast medium to a slow medium, the wave-front will bend in the opposite direction. If we bombard students with our personal beliefs we are deciding the direction of the bend. When we nudge them, rather than allow them to choose their direction, speed and curvature, we create the bend. Listen and guide not with kinetic energy but with potential. Help push them to the top of the climb, then allow their own transfer to take place. Let them decide to raise their hands in anticipation, or hold the bar tight. Either way, when they reach the next climb, they will be more prepared for the thrill of learning.  

Avoid content specific tests, especially multiple-choice, whenever possible.

Diffraction involves a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle in their path. Exams do not always give you the information you need as a teacher to assess growth. Especially multiple-choice exams that even with the highest level of questioning, are based on one result- the correct answer. Students have good days and bad days. Students can be excellent guessers or distracted test-takers, as well as prepared and informed. Either way, for me, the true way to assess growth and progress, is to talk to them, listen to their conversations and let them demonstrate knowledge in a way that best fits their strengths and understanding.

Water waves have the ability to travel around corners, around obstacles and through openings. When light encounters an obstacle in its path, the obstacle blocks the light and tends to cause the formation of a shadow in the region, behind the obstacle. This shadow comes from the stress of a definitive exam. A singularity of explanation. I avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately our grade level tests have to be common, so there are some. But, I always provide alternative ways to demonstrate their knowledge. Choice is key. When they feel safe, they will be more creative and confident in their learning.

Push students to try new things.

I will end this post with a simple quote-

The principle goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.

-Jean Piaget