For my post regarding EDUC 401, I have decided to include one of the assignments that I completed during the term. In this assignment (Circle of Courage) I was challenged to give context to four words in terms of their relevance to education. In doing this I feel that I learned to better understand the profession and my place within it going forward. Enjoy!

Mastery:

                        Mastery is something that you get from failing. To be a master you must be willing to fail over and over and over until you gain the necessary skills to be at the peak of your craft. This being said, no one ever really becomes a complete master at their chosen trade, activity or skill. Even the best of us still see flaws in the way they do things. This is how learning goes, the more you understand, the more you realize that you can not be perfect. This is okay though; perfection is not necessary for most things we do on a day-to-day basis. More important than attaining perfection is being able to employ a growth mind mindset in all things you do. Having a growth mindset is important as through this we can improve ourselves and see the positive benefits that result from our struggles.  

                        Mastery does not mean eliminating chaos, rather it means being able to shift and flow in accordance with chaos in such a way that there is an element of control. Similar to the way a sailboat adjusts its sail to the wind, a master modifies their action to fit the situation around them. Letting go control to an extent leads to more control.

Generosity:

                        Generosity means being willing to lend a helping hand because you truly care. I am not generous if I help you and expect something in return. In working with students, generosity means being willing to go the extra mile for students because we care about them are and their futures. Many teachers could have taken far higher-paying jobs in the private sector with the education they have. The fact they did not do this is because they care about making a change and helping improve the world we live in going forward. This is not to say that all teachers are virtuosic. In fact, some of my best teachers never talked about how they want to “change the world” or “serve their communities”. Rather they just acted like everyday people and quietly did the best they could for their students.

Independence:

                        Independence means having the integrity and skill to be trusted doing a job. Others around you need to know that you can 1, do your job well, and 2, be consistent in not cutting corners. If you lack these things people will surely find out about it at some point. This also means teaching students about what it means to be independent. How can we help students understand what it means to be responsible? How can we help students understand what is in their best interest? How can we help students cope with stress?

Belonging:

                        I believe it was Socrates who said “know thy self” What was it that he meant in this question? If I were to take a stab at it I would say he meant that the best way to be fulfilled is to understand what you really want. To understand what YOU really want you must first understand what YOU are. I believe that a solid understanding of self is necessary to be successful. Students need to understand themselves in relation to the world to be successful in their careers going forward. As the world around us is always changing, a strong sense of self is one of the best ways to remain centred. The world around me can change but I still know who I am as an individual.