Community and Commonwealth
In any ecosystem, being a generalist means you have a greater advantage over someone who is a specialist. At least, in the sense you do not rely on one species alone. You have more flexibility in diversification.
There is a hierarchy, a chain, a web. If you are near the top, chances are you are a predator. Very top apex, hunter. Bottom vegetation. The middle levels of the trophic organization, leave room for the endless array of opportunities and living quarters.
Each a piece of the puzzle, a swath of paint, in the big picture. All the intricate details, interdependent. Some keystone elements, thus if they are destroyed or removed, the tower collapses. Specialists tend to stay close to home, habitat small, environment manageable.
Generalists tend to venture away from their protected space, they have a variety of delicious morsels they snack on. They might be omnivores, eating flesh and chitin, but they can also be carnivores and herbivores, with an eclectic palate.
Survival and sustainablility require flexibility. Adaptation. Instinct and a quick response time. During times of competition, generalists migrate, maybe climb a tree or two, to seek out other sources of nourishment. They wander in order to gain wisdom for the next season.
Like generalists and specialists in an ecosystem, in education, specialists tend to graze and nibble on one maybe two treats. This limits their range and their appetite. In any field, being a specialist can bring you genius status, purposeful practice, means a honing of skills.
But, generalists, at least at first, can acquire a broader range of knowledge. Then have options to choose from. Superstars have come from both a specialist and a generalist background. Some thrive off of diversity of tasks and learning, while others prefer a more fine-tuned approach.
Educational Ecosystems
Yet, education tends to favor the specialist. We tend to nudge students early, into academic courses, we see them excel in. We see potential and put them in sports, music and academic challenges that hone their specific talent. Sometimes we narrow their playing field.
The most effective learning is slow and riddled with mistakes and failures. Yet we set pacing guides. If we let the learning slowly accumulate, there will be longer lasting connections. Students will be more willing to fail, and try again if we lower the stakes, but raise the bar. If we focus more on grazing, rather than hunting.
Slow learning might feel and look inefficient, but it is quite the opposite.
Sustainability requires a bit of imagination. A lot of curiosity and an expansive tool box of feedback, reflection, honest critique and meaningful conversations. Growth comes not from passing a test, but from figuring out, something you didn't know before.
Specialists definitely are remarkable human beings. They achieve greatness. Generalists do too. They just might take a little longer to achieve it, because they are testing out the different habitats, climbing some trees and getting lost.
But school needs a new outlook. Children need to widen their approach. They need to have the protection of the herd, but also the fortitude to leave it.
I know this is nothing we haven't heard before.
But, it has been on my mind, especially with distance learning.
Mindfulness does not just mean being aware of how students learn, it doesn't just mean equity and equality. It means letting go of arrogance.
Mindfulness, makerspace, mental breaks- the 3 M's of any classroom, all flourish when we let our ego stumble- when we set ourselves upon the path of generalist.
When we continue to leave our pack and yet, follow them as well. Because we know, they know the fastest way to the nearest watering hole.
Change will come when we listen, for even the slightest snap of a twig- and rather than sprinting off in fear, we face the unknown and challenge it to a duel.
To change education- we have to hear a lot of snapping twigs. We have to get lost for a bit. Allow ourselves to hunt for new ideas, yet also keep our eye on our habitat. We have a niche, every educator does. But we need to step outside, of them every once in awhile, and climb a tree.
The view is spectacular and it brings much needed clarity in an educational ecosystem.
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