Cultures, Values and Beliefs... Who's Right?

I am terrified when watching the news each night: the growing tensions and terrorisms, the conflicts and the chaos. It seems so foreign to me. It seems helpless and hopeless and so far removed from the world that I inhabit. I believe that people are essentially good, that they are not malicious or evilly inclined. It may be a naïve view of the world, but it allows me to sleep at night and makes me empathetic of those around me rather than suspicious. I’m certainly of the view that we are “all in this together,” and would stop to help someone on the street if they were in distress. 

I saw a recent cartoon that showed a man sitting in front of a television that screamed “WHAT CAN WE DO TO LESSEN THE FEAR OF TERRORISM?!?!” and then showed this man turning off his TV set and appearing very pleased with his decision. Although I agree with this approach to a certain extent, the saying that came into my mind was “ignorance is bliss.” I am not sure that by simply switching off our televisions, we are actually making enough of a positive impact on the world… at least not in the sense of working towards a peaceful, harmonious future for humanity. 

This morning, I had a Skype conversation with some teachers at an Indonesian “national plus” school, to try and arrange some collaboration between our classes. These are teachers who work with Indonesian students, but using an international curriculum, hopefully preparing them for international universities in the future. Like me, these teachers are educators of seven and eight year old students. We are peacemakers on a daily basis, but only in terms of solving classroom and school yard problems, generally: like someone not sharing their lego or taking someone else’s biscuits. The unit that we are hoping to collaborate through is based on values and beliefs. One of the teachers, Ibu Nury was concerned about the sensitive nature of the topic, and wanted to make sure that we could all proceed without offending anyone or making any students upset. It’s a very valid point, students of this age are developmentally just beginning to realise that they are not the centre of the universe. That there are people who may challenge the views that they have always taken as gospel (so to speak).  What they have been taught, or have absorbed from their family environments is what they often believe to be factual, and it’s around this age that they begin to be challenged by other ideas, by other children who feel just as strongly about their own values and beliefs. 

I believe that this collaboration is a great opportunity to allow these students to safely explore their values and beliefs in a supportive environment. If it’s done effectively, it could be the beginning of some students seeing the world from other perspectives. It will be brilliant to be a part of allowing these children to explore how Indonesian and Hong Kong cultures are very, very different, and not just from a religious point of view. But essentially, we are allowing eight-year-old children to connect.  

My hope is that we can expose these children to completely different cultures, values, traditions and beliefs. If we do this well, it may allow them the opportunity to see that other perspectives can be very different, but can be equally right or important. That these varieties of perspectives can provide the diversity that makes this world wonderful. That we can co-exist harmoniously and peacefully side-by-side: that we don’t have to fight to show who is more powerful, more influential or more right. At eight years old, that’s a pretty powerful realization.

I believe, above all that it’s not just about tolerance, but understanding, acceptance and love of humanity – no matter where people are from, how they dress or who they pray to. Not hiding away, believing that ignorance is bliss. But exploring the concept that true understanding of other cultures, beliefs and people can show that knowledge is power, and that’s much more powerful than turning off the television any day of the week.

With this hope, and the strength of my own beliefs and values (that people are essentially good…) I hope I can be a little less terrified when I watch the news tonight, and see the death toll of the latest bombing. Or maybe I will turn the television off instead and go for a walk outside…

The First of Many to Come...

What a year it’s been. This morning I woke up to watch the sunrise. I spent a glorious hour or so basking in the glow of the morning and marvelling at the beginning of another beautiful day. I ate a leisurely and delicious breakfast and enjoyed two steaming hot cups of tea. Then (and here’s where it gets interesting…) I went back to bed. With my book. And after I had finished reading my book I dozed for a while. When I got up the second time, I almost had to pinch myself. How is it possible that I managed to have such a perfectly indulgent morning? It must be SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!! 

That’s right. The time of year that gives us teachers the well-deserved chance to rest, recuperate and reflect. To be really honest, I have spent the last four weeks deliberately not thinking about school, deflecting my rogue thoughts if they dared stray to the forbidden topic of the classroom.  But now, as I enter the remaining few weeks of our end of year break, I realise that this is a valuable opportunity to reflect on my first year of teaching. There are a few thoughts that immediately spring to mind… so here they come, in no particular order:

• Nothing will ever be as hard or as rewarding as my first year of teaching
• I have made the best possible choice of career for myself, as I consistently feel challenged and fulfilled by my role
• I will miss the little faces that I came to know so well this year in my class. They are moving on to Year 4 and will probably be far too cool to say “hi” to me in the schoolyard…
• Supportive and inspiring teaching colleagues should be treasured!
• I never appreciated holidays as much as I have this year…

There were two opportunities throughout the year when I experienced mini-meltdowns: the first hit me at a friend’s house on the Friday evening of a particularly long week. The tears arrived and I was as surprised as my friends as I found it hard to explain them or make them stop! Thankfully my ever-supportive husband was close at hand to deliver me safely home and listen as I blabbed incoherently as to the pressures and concerns that had been bubbling away below the surface. The second time it happened: I felt myself welling up in class after lunch and feeling very, very fragile. Thankfully the children seemed to pick up on this vibe and were especially lovely and content to enjoy a low-ley afternoon of learning: disaster averted successfully! After talking about these emotional eruptions with fellow teaching friends, I discovered that many of them had experienced similar things during their first years of teaching. The enormity of the pressure we place on ourselves is evident. We are shaping the future and the learning habits of these little individuals that we are teaching. We are meeting parental, school and curricular expectations (hopefully) and maintaining a stimulating, safe and supportive social environment for these little lives. And we are doing it with a smile (mostly). We are spending more time with our class than we are with our families and we are maintaining professionalism and enthusiasm for our tasks. We are in meetings and committees after school and we are marking and lesson-planning at home and on weekends. We are responding to emails and meeting parents to discuss learning… and we LOVE it!

As I bid a teary farewell to my class of 2011-2012, I realise that I now have the opportunity to start over again with a whole new group of students. The individuality of each of them will become evident as the year unfolds and the challenges we face as a class and team will be as individual as the students. It’s a time of excitement and trepidation: but nothing will be as daunting as starting my first year. I already have a “bag of tricks” for setting up a harmonious learning environment. I have taught much of the content that we will tackle this coming year, and I can make improvements on the lessons and resources I created last year. I have a whole year’s worth of confidence and experience and I am ready to begin. Well, in about 3 weeks I will be ready. Until then I will make my eighth cup of tea for the day and settle on the couch with my book or maybe I should get outside and go for a walk… oh, the choices I have to make! Life sure is tough… but at least I now know why teachers deserve their holidays! Reflecting on my teaching year has revealed a lot about my and my choices, and it’s the first of many to come.

Are You Opinionated?

This morning in my class we did a great activity – one that was focused on building and verbalizing opinions. I read a number of statements aloud to my class, and they had to choose a place in the room to stand based on whether they agreed, disagreed or were unsure. If they were unsure, their task was to listen to the opinions of those who had decided on a stance, and then to use that information to make a decision.  Similarly if students had made a decision, their job was to listen to the opinions of others to decide if they were persuaded to change their minds.

One young lady (all of 8 years old!) found herself in a pretty powerful position: when she voiced the opinion (albeit very timidly) that had placed her across the room from nearly all of her peers, she found her opinion was very convincing: it caused most of the other students to cross the room to stand by her side. We discussed how this had happened, and realized that we all have the power to influence the opinions of many others, just by voicing our thoughts.

With this power comes an awful lot of responsibility. People with the strongest opinions are often the first to be heard because they speak the loudest. This doesn’t always mean that they are right. It is a skill in this world to be able to hear a variety of points of view, and then use that information to form your own opinions. It’s a tricky thing to do, and it’s a constant variable. Not doing this is really a lazy option. It’s choosing not to strive for a balanced view, but just allowing yourself to jump on someone else’s bandwagon.

Sometimes we meet or hear from someone who has strong views that we feel we can strongly associate with. Think of the Dalai Lama or Mahatma Ghandi with their views on non-violent conflict resolution – many people are drawn to these ways of thinking and the ideals behind them. Similarly: people with strong (and often controversial) views can draw a lot of followers. Think of Hitler or Mao Tse Tung and the damage their views and actions caused.  I repeat: with the power to persuade, comes an awful lot of responsibility.

The way I see it: if your opinion is not causing harm, if it is positive in nature, if it can bring about some kind of thinking or inspire action that’s good for the earth or other people then it’s probably a good thing. The trouble is that your view on that might be different to the view of others…. See the conundrum that we’re faced with?!

A dear friend of mine has a “pendulum theory”: if we can each influence 7 people to change their thoughts or actions to be positive towards the earth and fellow people, the world is moving in the right direction, a kind of “pay it forward” mentality. I think that she has a great and potentially influential idea there… as long as we consider that there are others out there who may influence at least 7 others in negative ways… my goal is to influence many others to think positively and take positive action to try and keep the positive pendulum swinging. But I must remember that with my opinions and the powerful position I find myself in, comes an awful lot of responsibility…

Culturally Speaking...

Culturally speaking, the school I teach in is predominantly attended by local children: from Hong Kong families. We talk about culture. We talk about local HK culture, we talk about Chinese culture: I talk about Australian culture. We research other cultures as part of our learning. Students identify with a number of different cultures – some of them have never lived in the country they identify their identity with. Our classroom has it’s own culture, our school, our community… so it goes.

Culturally speaking: I was a bit nervous before commencing my contract at this school. People had told me that the families may be intense, the academic demands would be high and that the students would be SO Chinese.  Hey, I’ve read “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”: I told myself I knew what these families will be like… but, let’s be honest – I was a little nervous about that kind of pressure.

I often ponder these thoughts as I notice various things about our school, and in particular, my class. Sure, there are differences from schools in Australia: from what my friends tell me, anyway. Here’s some examples:

Mrs Davis: “Okay folks, it’s time to get your maths books out”

Class: “Yesssssssssssssss”

Mrs Davis: “Okay folks, it’s time for Guided Reading groups”

Class: “Yesssssssssssssss”

To be honest, it’s refreshing to be working with 7-year-old students who still have a true and honest love for learning. Each day they teach me small things about their own culture. Each day I am more and more conscious of my Aussie accent, and my “Australianisms”. For example: the following words and sayings are very confusing for my students:

·      Texta

·      Jumper

·      Get a wriggle on

·      Data (pronounced the Aussie way)

·      G’day

There are many others too – things that I don’t even realise that I say… but they sure let me know!

But in so many ways, I have been surprised. It really hit me the other day as I started my yard duty and a young boy came running past me screaming “I’VE GOT SUGAR BISCUITS!!!!!!!!” In so many ways, these students are just the same as any other kids, anywhere in the world. Sure, some of them carry the pressure of feeling their families rely upon the outcome of their academic progress. Sure, some of them fill every moment of every day with extra classes, homework and co-curricular activities that will enrich them as students: but they are still 7-year-old children. They want to laugh and learn and play with their friends. The big difference I have noticed? The attitudes of the families: the parents of most of these students are really on the side of the teacher – not that this is a “battle” or about “taking sides”: but there is something about these local families that says “I am on your side”.

Many friends at other schools around the world have told me of their experiences dealing with some parents who would like to blame the teacher or the school for any problems with behaviour, academic success, attitude or social problems. I feel that the parents here want to side with the teachers to form a sort of “team” to support the progress of the student towards their goals.

Yet, there are still things that surprise me daily, for example:

Mrs Davis: “Okay folks, pack up your things, ready for Chinese…”

Class: “Awwwwwwww, whyyyyyyyyy?”

Culturally speaking, HK is a great place to live and teach. The energy from my class is infectious (not in a chicken pox kind of way) and it’s a joy to be a part of it. It’s refreshing to know that kids are just kids: no matter where they live – and it’s a great energy to be surrounded by each day! Until next time: enjoy your culture – whatever it may be. 

Upon Reflection

Upon reflection - most things are easier, make more sense, have a better comeback, are more enlightening or more worthwhile. Reflection gives us the chance to stop, think back and put things into perspective. To think of things we may have done differently given the same chance again. Reflection can be heartbreaking, soul-destroying, hope-giving, exhilarating or anything in between. Reflection gives us something that never exists in the actual moment – the chance to stop the clock and really think.

Have you ever done something that really tested you – physically, mentally?  I remember completing a 50km walk years ago with some great friends, and although completely under-prepared, we found ourselves lost and tired in the darkening night. It was anything but fun. My feet hurt, my bones were tired, I was hungry, cold and running out of positivity fast. Upon reflection, those hours were amongst the most valuable bonding times I have spent with those friends – we now reminisce on our experience and double over in laughter at the times we had whilst wandering around the hills, wondering if we would ever finish the course!

Professional reflection is important too. As a teacher, I have NEVER stood back at the end of the day and said to myself “Wow, I really nailed it today. I did everything perfectly and it all went to plan!” It just does not happen. Sure, there are times at the end of a session when I feel like the kids really “got it” or we made some good connections or discussed something really valuable. But that is invariably followed up by someone poking someone else in the eye, calling someone a baby or another disaster of such magnitude.  

In all seriousness – reflection is the way that I plan my way ahead. Looking back to look forward – if that makes any sense?! I learned about a great theory from Wiggins & McTighe – whose theory of Backwards Design is incredibly wise: It seems so simple – where do we want to finish up? Start with that. Then, plot my way there. What do I need to do for the students to achieve success at that end point? How can I support them to get there? What have we done before that has worked well? How much can they achieve in the time allocated? The cycle of action and reflection is literally endless.

And I wonder why I find it hard to still my mind at night! What could I have done differently for those students who just didn’t get it? How else could I have said that? What activities could have been richer, more engaging, better structured?

If I let my thoughts run away, I would never think about anything else, and in all honesty – that’s one of my biggest challenges this year. But reflection is important for my development as a teacher, and I think as long as I use reflection as a tool to keep pursuing more engaging, more relevant, more authentic learning – I guess I am heading in the right direction. Reaching for continuous improvement is giving my students the best chance of success. That’s what it’s really all about.

At the end of a particularly rewarding session last week, I was rewarded with a golden comment from one of my students – one that will remain with me for a long time: “Mrs D, you made me so smart.” To which I replied, “no I didn’t – you did that, I just helped you to ask better questions.”

Upon reflection – I hope that gives you the same warm fuzzy it gave me…

Until next time – tell your reflection that it’s special.

A Spoonful of Confidence

At times, it’s easy to feel confident to stand in front of a group of people and play the clown, discuss a topic or ask questions to clarify things. You feel that you are in control of the situation, you own your thoughts and words and you have the confidence to seek clarification without feeling a fool.  I have never been cursed with being shy – sometimes that in itself is a curse, but that’s a story for another time….

In my class this year, I have a number of students who are so quietly spoken that I must demand absolute silence in the classroom in order to hear their voices. I am working on many ways to help them build their confidence – starting with the fact that we all value their contributions!

To balance the quiet ones, there are always the loud ones. The ones whose hands are up at any given moment – whether or not they have considered what they are going to say… (!) and the ones who feel that their voice should be heard regarding anything and everything. This is not a bad thing, just such a contrast!!  I think I was one of these students at school – nope, actually – I’m sure I was.

One boy in my class was “sharing” with the rest of the class a couple of weeks ago, and he was telling us about an adventure type course he’d completed on the weekend. He started out fairly confidently (as he’s one of my big contributors) but even with his high level of confidence, he was “testing the waters” with the class, and how they were reacting to his story.  The story began quite realistically – based on fact, but as he progressed, he found that he had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand: laughing when things were funny, nodding appreciatively, gasping in anticipation…

This confident 7 year old soon found himself embellishing the facts,  exaggerating events and basically converting himself into the role of a super-human child. My favourite line of his was “I was running along, and then I think, yeah – I did a flip”. The class were cheering and hollering – they loved the story, although I am not sure whether they really bought into the elaborated details – it’s hard to say.

Another girl in my class suffered a fall that resulted in a broken arm recently – and as a result was elevated to “legend status” in all of Year 3. She was one of the quietest girls in the class, and now everyone wanted to help carry her bag, be her friend and helper and generally be seen with “the cool girl with the broken arm”.  As unfortunate as her broken arm was, I found her surrounded by friends in the classroom and playground, chatting happily and contributing in class. I no longer had to stop the class from talking in order to hear her voice. A strange phenomenon, yes – but in the best way possible.

Now, I am not suggesting that we ask our quiet children to break a limb in order to boost confidence! We will always have a mixture of loud and quiet in the classroom – and that’s important for dynamics in many ways. I only wish that it was possible for the quieter students to have the chance to share more readily and frequently. So my goal is to find ways to incorporate more strategies that don’t necessarily include talking to the class to share our insights – it can be done, and it begins now! Stay tuned for strategies I’m trying – no broken limbs or super human abilities required!

Until next time – try looking yourself in the mirror and saying “hey everybody, come see how good I look!”

Team Future

"Excuse me Miss, have you seen my adjectives?"

The other day I learned about a new species of bird. It’s called the Cockadoodle. Kind of like a Cockatoo – but different. It displays a rainbow of vibrantly coloured shining plumage – mostly electric blue, and feeds on enormous meals of assorted sized bowls of steaming fresh pasta and deliciously mouth watering sweets. It likes to live inside, preferably sleeping on the luxurious top bunk with the affectionate spotty dog.

I also heard delightful tales of gallant princes, scheming wizards, gigantic juicy red apples, amazing potions to undertake all sorts of amazing spells and life in pristine, grand castles, large sprawling gardens and lazy aquamarine worlds under the sparkling ocean.

That was in the morning.

By the afternoon, I encountered a familiar but nonetheless disturbing phenomenon – it often happens, you may have seen it in yourself or others when your energy begins to fade. Our worlds of fantasy from the morning disappeared. Our imaginations began to dwindle. Our sentences became unbearably drab and mind-numbingly dull.

We had lost our adjectives.

A world without adjectives is a world in which I would not choose to live. Imagine sharing a sensational sunset with someone without any adjectives.

“Oh, look at the sun”

“Yes, it’s setting”

With no adjectives we could not describe the lights, the colours, the sounds, the feelings associated with this beautiful phenomenon. Our statements would be purely facts – observations of events with no emotional attachment.

Think about it – imagine if we had no adjectives when discussing love. Or food, or travel, music, movies, babies, clothes, sports matches... In fact – adjectives are what give us the tools to describe and really feel our love of things, events and people. They are the connections, the descriptions, the parodies and the metaphors. They are the similes, the affections, the comparisons and even the oxymorons.

Definition of ADJECTIVE:

A word that describes a person or thing.

When you think about an adjective just like that, it is a word. But when you find yourself without adjectives, consider your sentences and how they may appear to an outsider. They would contain no humour, no drama and not much of any interest. And that’s all fine if you find yourself in an isolated cave, alone in the car or in a small cubicle where conversation or communication is not required… but in a classroom!? In a place of learning, discussing, sharing and reflecting! No adjectives! Just imagine it!

Thankfully we were able to locate our beloved adjectives. We had some literacy games, we shared some writing on the board and we really thought hard about ways to make our writing and communicating more stimulating. But as with anything you’ve ever lost or been without for a while – our feelings of affection for our adjectives was heightened.

My message to you is to love your adjectives. To use them often, respect them and build upon them! Words that describe give our language a richness, depth and emotional attachment that make it interesting, stimulating and fun.

And if you ever find yourself missing your adjectives, just think of the Cockadoodle, and how boring he would be if he was just a bird with feathers who ate and slept….