“Well,” the Lily said turning to Zo, “what are your conditions, Blossom?”
“Hah!”Bracken barked.
“You have to have conditions, otherwise you’d be dead” Louise said. “What are your conditions to grow? You know, do you need full sun, shade, moist roots, lots of space,…?”
“Or are you like fungi” Bracken interjected, “and grow in the dark with crap?”
“Now don’t you mind Bracken,” Lily said. “His soil is a little on the acidic side this morning.”
“What would I like my conditions to be...?” Zo thought aloud.
“Oh Seedlet, it’s not something you think about or choose, it’s your true nature.”
~ from Zo and the Knowbuddies (unpublished, still hopeful)
It seemed fitting that on Valentine’s Day I present you with a flower.
This particular one is a drawing compilation of my work, or you could say the ‘fruit’ of my research. (pun intended)
At first, I approached my research a bit like a construction worker- looking to build bridges between educational theories and neuroscience - and create a structure for learners to follow. Some 30 years later, I find myself more as a unique gardener: curiously working with an organic process, sifting through the expectations, weeding out negative thoughts, and sowing supportive learning behaviors.
I help cultivate this new ground by leading my students in a playful exploration of their unique characteristics. Through conversations, questions, and simple activities, we discover how to create the places and spaces that support how they think and learn, and help them flourish and bloom.
I have come to understand that the areas depicted on the petals are intertwined in every learning experience. At times, an area may branch out and shine as genius. At other times that same area may get in the way and create a distraction or roadblock.
We will look at each petal with more detail in future posts with the same title:
A Blossoming Mind.
So many variables on those petals. I must grow an inch and shrink two inches depending on the day.
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