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Poetic and metaphoric epistemologies

  The lack of fixed meanings and ambiguity disturb you You expect your rationality to answer all questions of teaching You check the boxes as you study how to teach your students Yet your epistemological framework leaves no room for uncertainty Yet teaching involves relationship building Metaphor provide means to understand to build relationships with students To understand their experiences and convey curriculum and vary instruction Poetic epistemologies unleash creativity creating new meaning and understandings Which aid the teachers in examining new possibilities for innovation One cannot teach without feeling and thinking which poetic and metaphor epistemologies permit
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Education profession metaphors

  Teaching is complex as tending to one’s diverse garden. Choosing the appropriate plants based on soil type and exposure to sunlight This is akin to choosing the appropriate instructional approach based on diverse students One must get their hands dirty much like teaching involves trial and error Teaching is also an opportunity from God for mercy and grace Students may make mistakes but are we merciful in allowing revisions Or do we show them grace in in allowing revision and fostering meta-cognition Are we showing them how to avoid their mistakes and how to comprehend better?
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The myth of objectivity in education

  Oh objectivism with your fixation that objects have inherent properties and fixed relations Don’t you know objects should be viewed as entities relative to our interactions with the world? You should view properties as interactional rather than inherent Metaphor is pervasive in our language and conceptual system helping understand experience Do students have inherent properties and fixed relations or are they more? Do one-size curriculum and instruction approaches work on all students? Or must educators understand the experiences of students and their relation to them? I cultivate relationships with my students to honor their experiences and individual preferences  
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Role of poetry in education about the myth of objectivity and subjectivity

  Poetry is thought to be in the arsenal of subjectivity and antithetical to objectivity Objectivism views words having fixed meaning with clarity and precision Yet poetry yields unclear or imprecise meanings Poetry is said to transcend objectivity connecting us to our feelings Poetry gives us awareness through imagination rather than reason Yet poetry is thought to stir up emotions blinding those to the truth As science and reason dehumanize us, poetry provides an injection of humanity Poetry provides a different lens for my students to understand our world Poetry opens doors to bridge emotion and rationality giving meaning to experiences
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Metaphorical nature of the human conceptual system and absolute truth

  Truth is relative to our understanding in our conceptual system Understanding cannot be framed in an absolute or neutral conceptual system Human conceptual systems require metaphorical understanding of worldly interactions Metaphors provide coherent and systematic relationships between concepts Life’s spoken and written entailments fits within our subjectivity Our experiences with metaphor awaken and connects our memories from our past And guides our future Education is the great equalizer leading to social mobility is my metaphor Yet I know not all educated will achieve social mobility But I continue to try because education opened doors for me
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Why objectivity and subjectivity is a myth

  Objectivism and subjectivism each hold myths Defined in opposition otherizing one another Rejection of objectivity is not a surrender to subjectivity Objectivity seeks to categorize and compartmentalize to create human domination and order Yet humans are prone to error, emotions, biases, and disillusionment Subjectivism is devoid of rationality permitting emotion to take over Data informed objectivity has taken over my school yet I know my students I read their emails, hear their stories of mourning and joy all in one day Data should inform but not direct Experiences should guide preparation To meet students where they are
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Short tale reflection of McLaren's tale of student class participation

  I was struck by the January 3 tale as I begin each class seeking what students sought from my course. Although a Public Speaking class, I learned to build their confidence by asking, “write your thoughts down before verbalizing.” My students typically encounter greater communication apprehension telling me, “I’m too nervous, let me think first.” When the teacher listed a variety of topics expecting students to respond, I’ve learned to avoid putting students on the spot. Instead, I ask them to form groups and generate topics for which they will research and present. This tale reminded me of how I use to approach students.
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