Water of Life

             In the story 'Water of Life', a young prince completes the tasks of saving his father and marrying his one true love by being true to himself and thinking of others first. The story begins with the young prince attempting to save his father, the King, after his two older brothers had failed. He does this by going to an enchanted castle and finding a magic elixir called the 'Water of Life'. The water will refresh the king and provide him with a vitality that will keep him alive.

             In teaching, it is also important that we have a certain refreshment and vitality. To do this, rather than search for a magic drink, we must turn to a philosophy that embraces why we became a teacher and what we hope to accomplish through the practice. For some, this may be in the form of a single text. Some site Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed or Dewey's progressive education or even Herbart, who focused on the connection between society and the individual. For me, there is no one text that embodies my ideal philosophy on education. As a new teacher, I am still searching. This means that it will be important for me to continue to delve into educational/philosophical texts. (I am open to suggestions.)

            While I don't have a text that I turn to, I do know which direction I am headed. I value equality. I value it in the classroom, in my home, and anywhere life can be found. I have always been this way and the fact that it spills into my classroom is no surprise to me. As a child, I wanted things to be fair between my brothers and myself. As an adult, if I give one of my dogs a treat...well you know. In The Red Pyramid, Riordan states "Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need." This is the kind of fairness I strive for in the classroom. This fairness is the reason that some kids get extra books and some don't. It's the reason I take away recess so a child can complete unfinished homework. It is not:

Instead, fairness and equality are:

               I am especially interested in implementing the idea of equality and fairness where technology is concerned. For many, access to the internet can provide a new learning experience that has not been as available to future generations. (I do believe that the internet has the potential to be a great equalizer, but that's another blog for another day.)

            The piece of  'Water of Life' that resonated with me was the fairness of it all. While that may not be a pronounced theme of the story, the youngest prince was always fair and true. In the end, he had the happily ever after. He was fair with his brothers, with the huntsman, and with the king. He knew that others had made mistakes, but gave more chances to rectify situations because he knew that it was fair to do so. He was kind. For me, fairness starts with kindness. If you can be kind, you can be fair. If you can be fair, you can be equitable. If you can be equitable, justice has been served and the world will be a better place.

Please be kind.

#MCERT #PaoloFreire #ProfessionalDevelopment #fairness