One of the books I'm reading this summer is "The Element", by Ken Robinson. I'm a big Ken Robinson fan, mainly because I truly believe that the educational system is too much like an assembly line, and we need to move towards more individualized, personalized education. We say this all the time, but moving the system takes a long time. I haven't done research on how long it's been going on, but I remember talking about differentiation and student centered learning at least for the past 6 to 8 years at my school, and it's just starting to happen and some classrooms.
The Element both encouraged me to find my element, and encouraged me to help my students find their element. If one of my main goals in my art room is to help students find their element, that really changes my perspective reageding how I teach. I look at things through a new lens and that is my focus, rather than a specific technique or artist that I want students to know about.
A few of my favorite quotes from the book:
"... Issues of attitude are of paramount importance in finding your element. A strong will to be yourself is an indomitable force." -Ken Robinson
On Self Doubt:
"... I am struck by how often, when I asked women to blog for the Huffington Post, they had a hard time trusting that what they had to say was worthwhile, even established writers… we put such a premium on being approved of, we become reluctant to take risks." -Arianna Huffington
Cultural Norms and Groupthink:
"The great social movements are those that are stimulated when the boundaries are broken… Youthful rebellion often expresses itself through distinctive styles of speech and dress codes, which usually turn out to be just as conformist an Orthodox within their subculture as they are at odds with the dominant culture they are trying to escape." -Ken Robinsin
Levels of Constraint:
Personal, Social, Cultural:
"what price are you willing to pay? The rewards of the element are considerable, but reaping these rewards may mean pushing back against some stiff opposition." -Ken Robsinson
(This is where students who find their element outside of cultural norms need our support).
Mentors:
"for me Charles Stratford was a window into another world. Through hands-on practical assistance he facilitated my early journey from the back row of special-education to what has become a lifelong passion for full-scale education reform." -Ken Robinson
Roles of Mentoring:
"… Effective mentors push us pass what we see as our limits. Much as they don't allow us to succumb to self-doubt, they also prevent us from doing less with our lives than we can. A true mentor reminds us that our goal should never be to be "average" at our pursuits." -Ken Robinson
"The element has implications for teaching. Too many reform movements in education are designed to make education teacher proof. The most successful systems in the world take the opposite view, they invest in teachers. The reason is that people succeed best when they have others who understand their talents, challenges, and abilities. This is why mentoring is such a helpful force in so many peoples lives. Great teachers have always understood that the role is not to teach subjects but to teach students. Mentoring and coaching is the vital pulse of a living system of education." -Ken Robinson
I could go on, but I wanted to give you some of my favorite things from the book. This was a fairly quick read, but it was one of those books that's almost life-changing, and really makes you reevaluate everything that you're doing. You really start to think about the purpose of things in your life. You evaluate how your time is spent, and what your goals are. This book both helped me personally and professionally, and I will continue to think about the lessons that I've learned from this book as I get ready for school this fall.
How about you, have you read any great books the summer?
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