The past three days, I attended an institute with Teachers Lead Philly. We asked ourselves what it meant to be a teacher leader, while positing that teachers are indispensable agents in developing the policy and practice that affects education in our schools. It was a phenomenal opportunity to connect with teachers who believe in Philadelphia education and have the energy and passion to do right by our students, despite our trying times. Each time I have taken opportunities like this one to reflect and develop my professional practice with other teachers, I have been refreshed and re-energized to enter back into my school and my classroom. Here is a reflection of some of the things I learned about teacher leadership:
We began the institute with the following questions: "What is teacher leadership? What does it look like to be a teacher leader?" We began to unpack and understand this concept in order to frame our work together.
From our shared experiences, we decided that a teacher leader is a lifelong learner who seeks to develop his or her own professional practice while being open to share, collaborate, and learn from others. Teacher leaders never see their professional development as finished because education evolves with our culture. We see the classroom as a complex context, and our relationships with students as incredibly important. Inquiry and reflection are seen as essential elements of our practice because they make growth possible. As teacher leaders, we seek to connect with other teachers in our schools, our district, our nation, and our world.
At the heart of teacher leadership is the development of our own philosophy of education through which we can confidently engage in our practice. Through our own philosophy of education, we are able to think for ourselves and develop out own curriculum rather than being told how to teach and interact with students. Teacher leaders must be intellectuals in their practice, and a goal for us as teacher leaders is to extend this intellectualism, leadership, and belief to all teachers. Every teacher should see him or herself as a leader in their classroom and as a knowledgeable practitioner.
Good leaders everywhere are people who enhance the capacity of leadership and decision making among all of those with whom they work. We developed the concept of "lifting while we climb," so while we make our own journeys of inquiry, reflection, and growth, we model this behavior and invite our colleagues to join us.
As teacher leaders, we make the future of education in our classrooms and schools. We are not passive practitioners along for the ride of policy makers and pundits. Therefore, another important theme of the institute was the hope that this constructive professional agency gave us. While it is a challenging time to be a teacher in Philadelphia, we gave each other hope because we know that our practice, our relationships, and our integrity in our schools do matter to each other and most importantly, our students.
Thank you, Teachers Lead Philly, for this opportunity.
7.7.14
The Barnes Arboretum and Educational Interconnectivity
I recently took a tour of the Barnes Arboretum at the original Merion campus of The Barnes Foundation. I admire Dr. Barnes as an education philosopher even though he is not normally credited with that title. However, he had a lasting relationship with John Dewey, and they often refer to each other as sources of inspiration for their theories on art and education.
The Barnes Arboretum was directed by Mrs. Barnes, and it is clear that she was also influenced by her husband as she developed the land on their twelve acre estate. The Arboretum is beautiful, and follows the educational mission of The Barnes Foundation to promote creativity, objective and critical thinking guided by scientific inquiry, and the importance of relationships. Our guide for the tour took us to plants and trees that were often grouped together by their shared genus. She explained that she liked to refer to these groupings of trees as Mrs. Barnes' ensembles. If you are familiar with the art of the Barnes collection, you know that the art is assembled not in any linear fashion as a traditional museum would have it, but in a collection of paintings, metalwork, and even furniture, which are referred to as ensembles. These ensembles ask the viewers to see the relationship between the art on a given wall, in a given room. In a similar way, the Arboretum invites the same kind of inquiry to explore how and why certain plants and trees are arranged together.
Mrs. Barnes believed that any plant could flourish if it was given the proper conditions to grow. This required research and planning to make the planting decisions that she made. Through this process, she planted trees from all over the world that have prospered on her Pennsylvania estate. She enjoyed every part of her plants and trees to the point that she even payed close attention to their bark. The bark of many trees have unique traits that I had not noticed or appreciated before.
As we were taken around the property, our guide also pointed out the artistic principles of line, light, color, and space that Mrs. Barnes used while designing her gardens that are the same principles used by artists when painting. In the same way an artist paints, a gardener can use these principles to construct the arrangement of his or her plants for an aesthetic effect.
I enjoyed learning about the purposeful approach to designing this arboretum that was guided by educational ideas to create a special place. The theme of relationships arose several times during our tour, and it reinforced the essential understanding of the interconnectivity of everything in our world, which I believe was a central educational insight that Mrs. Barnes, Dr. Barnes, and John Dewey wanted their students to accomplish. In fact, I believe this insterconnectivity is a central concept for sound educational practice in general.
The Barnes Arboretum was directed by Mrs. Barnes, and it is clear that she was also influenced by her husband as she developed the land on their twelve acre estate. The Arboretum is beautiful, and follows the educational mission of The Barnes Foundation to promote creativity, objective and critical thinking guided by scientific inquiry, and the importance of relationships. Our guide for the tour took us to plants and trees that were often grouped together by their shared genus. She explained that she liked to refer to these groupings of trees as Mrs. Barnes' ensembles. If you are familiar with the art of the Barnes collection, you know that the art is assembled not in any linear fashion as a traditional museum would have it, but in a collection of paintings, metalwork, and even furniture, which are referred to as ensembles. These ensembles ask the viewers to see the relationship between the art on a given wall, in a given room. In a similar way, the Arboretum invites the same kind of inquiry to explore how and why certain plants and trees are arranged together.
Mrs. Barnes believed that any plant could flourish if it was given the proper conditions to grow. This required research and planning to make the planting decisions that she made. Through this process, she planted trees from all over the world that have prospered on her Pennsylvania estate. She enjoyed every part of her plants and trees to the point that she even payed close attention to their bark. The bark of many trees have unique traits that I had not noticed or appreciated before.
As we were taken around the property, our guide also pointed out the artistic principles of line, light, color, and space that Mrs. Barnes used while designing her gardens that are the same principles used by artists when painting. In the same way an artist paints, a gardener can use these principles to construct the arrangement of his or her plants for an aesthetic effect.
I enjoyed learning about the purposeful approach to designing this arboretum that was guided by educational ideas to create a special place. The theme of relationships arose several times during our tour, and it reinforced the essential understanding of the interconnectivity of everything in our world, which I believe was a central educational insight that Mrs. Barnes, Dr. Barnes, and John Dewey wanted their students to accomplish. In fact, I believe this insterconnectivity is a central concept for sound educational practice in general.
Example of a Barnes Ensemble
This "Monkey Puzzle" Tree was awesome.
3.7.14
Remembering Walter Dean Myers: Strategy for Writing Fiction
Walter Dean Myers passed away this week, and I heard this past interview with him on Here and Now. He generated tons of writing that connected to his own urban upbringing and was influential as an author and speaker. What stood out to me was the following writing process he goes through constantly to generate stories (you can listen to it at the 2:58 mark):
6-Box Model for Fiction:
- Establish an interesting character + Establish an interesting problem.
- Try the obvious things for the character to solve his or her problem.
- He or she must rethink the problem "because now the character is getting deeper into the problem and as the character rethinks, then the reader rethinks."
- Growth: You want to see growth within the character. You want to see the character grow in such a way that you could also grow.
- Have a final attempt in which the character is either successful or not successful, but this final attempt, nevertheless should reflect the growth.
- Wrapping up loose ends.
He explains that when he takes the time to do all of these things, he is much more likely to finish the book. This model is important for educators to be able to show how writing is a process. It is rare for authors to just sit back and write out an entire novel without thinking about it beforehand. On napkins, on scrap paper, on notebooks with scriibbled ideas that come to us at 3 a.m., these are the ways in which many writers develop their ideas that become the books and literature that we read.
2.7.14
Confucianism and Modern Education (Part 3): Book II and Filial Piety within the Context of Confucian Governance and Leadership
The Analects of Confucius, Book II
What timeless and universal values exist in Confucianism that can inform teaching and learning in my life and classroom?
Book II of the Analects brought me back to my time living and teaching in South Korea. Confucianism is embedded in the culture there. In Korea, many adults explained to me that while many Koreans may identify as being Buddhist, Christian, or Agnostic, nearly everyone considers themselves to follow Confucianism. As I wrote in an earlier post, this Confucianism should not be considered a religious practice; instead, it can stand for cultural principles, beliefs, and practices that should be honored and practiced in order to maintain harmony in relationships and society.
In Book II, the following themes stood out to me: Governance and Leadership, Lifelong Learning, Filial Piety, and Integrity. Here is a breakdown of where I interpreted these themes:
Governance and Leadership: 1, 3, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21
Lifelong Learning: 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21
Integrity: 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24
Filial Piety: 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 24
Analysis of Filial Piety within the Context of Governance and Leadership:
I began this post by pointing out the connection of Korean culture to Confucianism. Four analects in a row (5-8), are direct questions posed to Confucius about the proper treatment of parents. Each of these analects emphasize a deep respect of your parents from deep inside your heart. The treatment of parents cannot just reside in outward practice and deference to them; it must be part of your intrinsic demeanor. For example, II:7 states:
"Tzu-yu asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, 'Filial sons' nowadays are people who see to it that their parents get enough to eat. But even dogs and horses are cared for to that extent. If there is no feeling of respect, wherein lies the difference?"
Therefore, adults in a community that are deeply entrenched in Confucianism expect this respect and deference from those who are younger and less experienced than them. The family, to Confucius, is a microcosm for wider society, which is why so much emphasis is placed upon the harmonious practices of a well-functioning family. To illustrate this, I return to I:2:
"Master Yu said, Those who in private life behave well towards their parents and elder brothers, in public life seldom show a disposition to resist the authority of their superiors. And as for such men starting a revolution, no instance of it has ever occurred. It is upon the trunk that a gentleman works. When that is firmly set up, the Way grows. And surely proper behavior towards parents and elder brothers is the trunk of Goodness?"
"The trunk" refers to that which is fundamental, as opposed to the twigs, which would be considered smaller tasks in society. Therefore, from this analect, we can see how the cultivation of good moral citizenship begins at home for Confucius. However, in order to fully understand filial piety within this Confucianist context, it is important to also pay close attention to the Master's statements on governance and leadership. If it is so crucial for the younger generation to be pious in respect of their elders, then the elders and leaders of this society must be worthy of this respect. For those in positions of leadership and governance (and I feel strongly that these values and directions can be extended to parents and teachers), they must know how to lead from their foundation of integrity and morality rather than fear and chastisement, as II:3 explains:
"The Master said, Govern the people by regulations, keep order among them by chastisement, and they will flee from you, and lose all self-respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual and they will keep their self respect and come to you of their own accord."
Likewise, in II:20:
"Chi K'ang-tzu asked whether there were any forms of encouragement by which he could induce the common people to be respectful and loyal. The Master said, Approach them with dignity, and they will respect you. Show piety towards your parents and kindness toward your children, and they will be loyal to you. Promote those who are worthy, train those who are incompetent; that is the best form of encouragement."
Confucius has an extremely high standard for adults and leaders to not abuse the respect that is afforded to them from the virtues of filial piety. He disdains those who do not have the values and moral foundation upon which Confucianism is dependent upon. In II:22, it is written:
"The Master said, I do not see what use a man can be put to, whose word cannot be trusted. How can a wagon be made to go if it has no yoke-bar or a carriage, if it has no collar bar?"
As a teacher, there are innumerable potential connections to how I cultivate relationships with my students and run my classroom. A quote from Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach is fundamentally, "We teach who we are." Regardless of what subject and content we teach in the classroom, our values and moral character shine through in how we balance our responsibilities and treat the children who we teach.
What timeless and universal values exist in Confucianism that can inform teaching and learning in my life and classroom?
Book II of the Analects brought me back to my time living and teaching in South Korea. Confucianism is embedded in the culture there. In Korea, many adults explained to me that while many Koreans may identify as being Buddhist, Christian, or Agnostic, nearly everyone considers themselves to follow Confucianism. As I wrote in an earlier post, this Confucianism should not be considered a religious practice; instead, it can stand for cultural principles, beliefs, and practices that should be honored and practiced in order to maintain harmony in relationships and society.
In Book II, the following themes stood out to me: Governance and Leadership, Lifelong Learning, Filial Piety, and Integrity. Here is a breakdown of where I interpreted these themes:
Governance and Leadership: 1, 3, 10, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21
Lifelong Learning: 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21
Integrity: 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22, 24
Filial Piety: 5, 6, 7, 8, 20, 24
Analysis of Filial Piety within the Context of Governance and Leadership:
I began this post by pointing out the connection of Korean culture to Confucianism. Four analects in a row (5-8), are direct questions posed to Confucius about the proper treatment of parents. Each of these analects emphasize a deep respect of your parents from deep inside your heart. The treatment of parents cannot just reside in outward practice and deference to them; it must be part of your intrinsic demeanor. For example, II:7 states:
"Tzu-yu asked about the treatment of parents. The Master said, 'Filial sons' nowadays are people who see to it that their parents get enough to eat. But even dogs and horses are cared for to that extent. If there is no feeling of respect, wherein lies the difference?"
Therefore, adults in a community that are deeply entrenched in Confucianism expect this respect and deference from those who are younger and less experienced than them. The family, to Confucius, is a microcosm for wider society, which is why so much emphasis is placed upon the harmonious practices of a well-functioning family. To illustrate this, I return to I:2:
"Master Yu said, Those who in private life behave well towards their parents and elder brothers, in public life seldom show a disposition to resist the authority of their superiors. And as for such men starting a revolution, no instance of it has ever occurred. It is upon the trunk that a gentleman works. When that is firmly set up, the Way grows. And surely proper behavior towards parents and elder brothers is the trunk of Goodness?"
"The trunk" refers to that which is fundamental, as opposed to the twigs, which would be considered smaller tasks in society. Therefore, from this analect, we can see how the cultivation of good moral citizenship begins at home for Confucius. However, in order to fully understand filial piety within this Confucianist context, it is important to also pay close attention to the Master's statements on governance and leadership. If it is so crucial for the younger generation to be pious in respect of their elders, then the elders and leaders of this society must be worthy of this respect. For those in positions of leadership and governance (and I feel strongly that these values and directions can be extended to parents and teachers), they must know how to lead from their foundation of integrity and morality rather than fear and chastisement, as II:3 explains:
"The Master said, Govern the people by regulations, keep order among them by chastisement, and they will flee from you, and lose all self-respect. Govern them by moral force, keep order among them by ritual and they will keep their self respect and come to you of their own accord."
Likewise, in II:20:
"Chi K'ang-tzu asked whether there were any forms of encouragement by which he could induce the common people to be respectful and loyal. The Master said, Approach them with dignity, and they will respect you. Show piety towards your parents and kindness toward your children, and they will be loyal to you. Promote those who are worthy, train those who are incompetent; that is the best form of encouragement."
Confucius has an extremely high standard for adults and leaders to not abuse the respect that is afforded to them from the virtues of filial piety. He disdains those who do not have the values and moral foundation upon which Confucianism is dependent upon. In II:22, it is written:
"The Master said, I do not see what use a man can be put to, whose word cannot be trusted. How can a wagon be made to go if it has no yoke-bar or a carriage, if it has no collar bar?"
As a teacher, there are innumerable potential connections to how I cultivate relationships with my students and run my classroom. A quote from Parker Palmer's The Courage to Teach is fundamentally, "We teach who we are." Regardless of what subject and content we teach in the classroom, our values and moral character shine through in how we balance our responsibilities and treat the children who we teach.
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