Common sense counts… but evidently it is becoming a scarcity in today’s society. Just today, one of our friends commented that he purchased a new chain saw. His surprise was that a large warning sign was attached to it which said, “Do NOT place hand on chain while it is in motion.” We’ve all seen these signs and just can’t believe they are really necessary! Yet, I have many of those students who see a “wet paint – don’t touch” sign, and then proceed to touch it to see if it is true!
My observation is that we are finding people experiencing life in small “tidbits” rather than a continuous progress. Each experience seems to be segmented into a stand-alone moment. Perhaps this is caused because people have to return to a browser between each new adventure so it can lead the way for them. My husband and I have noted that students are even writing in these tidbits which closely resemble the standard advertisements on TV today.
As I work with my students in class, I point out to them that the missing element in many of today’s schools is the lack of classes in which “thinking” is actually taught! All the information in the world cannot achieve one thing if it can’t be applied to life. Just memorizing or reading something is not learning. As the sages of old have said, “experience is the best teacher.” That brings to my mind something I learned during my Master’s Degree curriculum: the medium is not the message!
I’ve been a proponent for years of the idea of “personalizing learning” in the classroom. My math students chart their daily work and tests and pre-tests so that they can discern what kind of progress they are making. I have no trouble getting their interest in these figures. I think if more math time was spent helping students to verify how many student athletes are drafted into the professional leagues each year, we wouldn’t have so many students blind-sided when it comes to applying for college scholarships.
I have made special time in our curriculum for young children to be exposed to folk tales and fairytales which their parents and grandparents knew. This gives a “common” knowledge to them so conversations across generations can provide pleasant and meaningful moments between them. One of the most poignant readings I’ve ever read was a statement in the book, “Many Winters.” I don’t have the book with me at this time, so I will paraphrase the story. The old gentleman was asking his grandchild, “Remember when the earth was not so crowded, the land was beautiful and teeming with wildlife, and we enjoyed the out of doors instead of sitting and watching the TV?” The young child turned and said, ”NO!” How sad to see this great gulf between these two generations. Yet, is that not also what is happening to our society today?
At seventy-seven years, with over fifty years of teaching experience, I continue to make it a practice to paint word pictures for my students of “days gone by” and “common experiences” which can bind them to their parents and grandparents in “common sense” adventures and experiences.
Kay