My Living Philosophy

I wrote the text below pondering writing a poem about my teaching ideas rather than paragraphs. Then I thought I might use a picture, but that seemed like cheating. I don’t know why. Pictures are very expressive. A picture paints a….

I could never that many words.

I want simpler. I want simple communication. I do not care if the communications is done via email, YouTube, or in a car. I want good, honest communication that moves me.

I want simple. That has nothing to do with tools like cables, airplanes, computers, or TVs. I want a simple path that is clear to the users. A path that is kind and curious. One that is directed towards an honorable goal. The path does not have to be free of clutter and stuff to be beautiful and necessary.

I want simplicity. Simplicity comes from within and is not distracted by the stuff of the day.
I want less stuff that shares more. I want three shirts that have meaning and history rather than my stacks of them. I want all the books I have read about education to be clear in my head: In a simple form in a simple word or two.

I want. Perhaps that is my philosophy of education. I desire more, but I am learning to pick and choose, to weigh and ponder, the need, and the use of the things around me.

I want to learn. I am not so sure my ideas about teaching are any different at all than my ideas about living.

Well, if I had to dig “deeper” I might say things like I want to utilize Montessori practices in all grade levels including college. I want the ratio of “in-school-buildings” work to work done outside of school walls to be split 50/50. Perhaps even 30/70. I want to the investment in schooling to go beyond money and taxes and compensation and test scores. I want the rest of the world to pour into all spaces used as “learning places/spaces/tools.” I want more parental involvement in the K12 community and beyond. I want reflection to play a much larger role in the evaluation process and for students to be given more responsibility in directing themselves. And then held accountable for getting themselves there, wherever that may be. I want class size to be measured by “the best case scenario” rather than budget. I want our culture to move from counting quality to using quality. And for all these things, there is exceptional evidence that it works.