What's happening in 6th grade?
Hold up! This is not an economic or philosophy blog.One of the things I love most about my PLN is that I have so many dear friends who constantly push me to be better and learn more about the world around me and the human condition. The world is hurting right now. Our hearts are heavy for those in pain around us. I wanted to take a little time to just get some thoughts down on paper after a great conversation with a friend of mine. A couple friends and I were talking about the effects of individualism and collectivism in the classroom. Full Disclaimer: I found great benefit from this conversation as I grew both professionally and spiritually in my understanding of the world around me. Not sure if those I was speaking with me found the same solace, but I'm thankful for this oft-challenging dialogue. Collectivism or Individualism?Collectivism is the idea that "the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it." If it is good for the whole, it must be good for the parts. Whereas individualism is defined as "a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control." Individual autonomy and personal liberties are paramount here. Naturally, I tend to lean more toward an individualism mindset as my personal philosophies align more toward these ideals of personal freedoms and liberties, but after hearing my friend speak of ideals of collectivism challenged me to give it a second thought. As a Catholic, I've heard several Catholic speak of collectivism as an ideal before. I did some amateur research coming upon some thoughts by economist Mises, who proposes that socialism, or collectivism, tends to restrict the views of one group in favor of one ideal, which is seen as a net positive for the whole. (Economics nor philosophy are my forte, therefore I apologize for any stupidity in this writing. These are simple reflections in my learning.) If the views of part of the collective whole are seen as not valued, peace cannot be reached by the collective whole as one group or viewpoint is oppressed. Keep reading. Not done. :) Faith PerspectiveThose who know me know that I try to see things through a Catholic moral lens of respect of human life and dignity as all have been created in the image and goodness of God. I love the Catholic Church because, believe it or not, takes pretty sensible positions In some of these social and moral issues, and often not at either extreme. Jimmy Aiken, Catholic apologist, warns against the dangers of adopting one of the two systems (collectivism or individualism) in any extreme as their are dangers which could put individuals at risk. There are aforementioned dangers of collectivist ideals. On the other hand, individualism comes with its own dangers. For example, individualists can become so self-absorbed that they forget about charity toward neighbors around them. If one becomes so selfish and competitive in his or her own accomplishments, it risks taking away opportunity for others among other dangers. Aiken reminds us of the "golden rule" found in scripture, "'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:31). I see this as a great balance between both collectivism and individualism. God commands that we must love our neighbor as we look out for our own needs. Just as we look out for our own needs (individualism), this similar love and care should also be directed toward our neighbor in charity and love (collectivism). So... How does this apply to teaching?Up front, I'm going to say that I don't have macro-solutions for the world, but I can try to apply these thoughts of moderation to my own practices in the classroom. First of all, thanks to my dear friend for reminding me of collectivist ideas in the classroom. Many educators claim to build "families" (I know some don't like this application of the term.) or community within the classroom. This friend proposed the anecdote of community school supplies shared by the whole of students in the classroom. When students bring in school supplies, there's always kid who brings in the Ultimate Crayola Collection ($14.88) and also the student who brings in the traditional pack of 8 ($0.99). Some argue that this is just how it is while others will not see the harm in this practice. (Honestly - bring in the pack of 8! No teacher wants these monstrous boxes of superfluous colors which will never be used!) My concern is... why should we introduce this level of competition amongst our students? We should want our students to foster supportive relationships amongst one another in which they are not fighting for status. This happens enough already. Unfortunately, students are already going to understand these socioeconomic dimensions. Why exacerbate the problem by propagating this practice in the classroom? Community supplies are not a bad idea! I've definitely started to do more of this in my classroom. (The only problem is that I have spent too much of my own money contributing to this supply.) We build community through morning meetings and cooperative learning throughout the school day. We build empathy and compassion for others through culturally responsive practices in the classroom. Individualism should not be discounted, when building these empathetic classroom cultures and environments. I'm not referring to the individualism which promotes unhealthy competitive achievement of grades which pits students against one another. This is not a healthy dynamic and one I fully support abandoning in favor of more mastery and standards-based-assessment. One of my earliest passions as a "progressive educator" was in providing student voice and choice in the classroom. Specifically, in blended learning the core tenets of student choice include choice of pace, path, product, among others. By allowing this choice in students, we empower individual students to build their individual passions and skills. The passions of a child should not be decided by the collective whole or even the teacher. So, what's the takeaway?Now that I have written for far too long with more economic jargon than I have probably ever used but, I guess the takeaway is simple. Our classrooms should employ a balance of both facets of collectivism and individualism in order to create empathetic classroom environments in which students are empowered to become skilled and independent learners using their own gifts to make the world a better place than the one they were born into.
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About MeLouie here! 5th Grade Teacher. Level 2 Google Educator. Love all things Google. 1:1 Chromebooks. Archives
June 2020
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