As a
teacher/mentor my personal mandate is to introduce my students to the best of
the great ideas; to lead them to the discovery of their own questions and to
provide resources where they might begin to answer those questions.
Personal goals:
1. Change compliant ‘tell me what
to think, say, do’ behavior back to ‘I have questions to answer; I need to meet
the great ideas; I expect you to acknowledge and respect my needs and provide
me with access to accurate information.’
2. Re-introduce opportunity to
develop thinking skills: replace the ‘here’s all the information you need, and
here’s your homework assignment’ with the time to ponder ‘great ideas’ on
purpose; notice personal feelings, thoughts (questions) and ideas (possibilities).
3. Re-experience multiple ways of
examining ideas: Be re-allowed the time to “Play” with ‘catching’ ideas by
writing, drawing, labeling, talking, touching, tasting, constructing,
composing, demonstrating, etc. etc. Be encouraged to use imagination in
creating connections between ideas; Be in charge of self-development - of
‘voice’; articulate understanding by sharing in media of choice.
4. Build on confident voice;
continually searching out the great ideas in all disciplines; continually
strengthening personal thinking skills; continually refining creative
connections into product: writing, art, constructions, models, recipes,
compositions etc. that can be published to audience and make the world a better
place.
