Tara Payor: Pedagogical Peace

This past weekend, I put summer break to rest.  A weekend getaway to Amelia Island was my long goodbye to summer.  While there, I was reminded of the importance of weaving moments of peace and inspiration, and performances of doing absolutely nothing, into what is commonly a frenzied fall.  Already, I have heard news reports detailing why we should be scared about our students’ brown-bagged lunches (too many hours out of the fridge may mean bacteria hysteria), how much schools have at stake with the looming NCLB 2014 deadline (according to the No Child Left Behind Act, all students must achieve levels of proficiency or better), and the tensions that arise between school faculty and parents who have “Trophy Child Syndrome.”   From the time I typed the first sentence of this post to typing the word “syndrome,” my heart rate has increased.  I believe in setting feasible goals, and I hope that each of you will join me in setting goals for achieving, along with your children/students, work/school-life balance.

When I think about our students entering schools that are pretty much branded with a gargantuan, red letter-grade, it’s simple to understand why large numbers of them (and their parents) are frequently overly focused on grades (the product) at the expense of the process.  Our schools are more than grades and our teachers and students are much more than standardized test scores.  In an attempt to find some peace among the standardized test chaos, perhaps we can make time this fall to enjoy good-for-the-mind and soul processes with our loved ones.  How about taking either a nature walk or bike ride through Westchase (or one of the Bay Area’s fabulous parks) and then composing about the experience?  Mom may feel moved to write a poem about the gator she spotted, while one of the kiddos may opt for a prose piece focused on all of the sensory details.  This is quality family time, and it’s also sure to help students feel more confident in their writing abilities.  Writing is not limited to the writing exercises completed during standardized tests.  Composing, though, for myriad reasons and in varied genres, is likely to help boost students’ writing scores on mandated tests.  Of course, family members must read their writing aloud to one another!  Delight in the peaceful process.

Parents and teachers ought to establish routines from the start of the school year.  Truth be told, students want them; they are good for all of us.  Yet, no one is going to thrive if s/he is in a rut—feeling uninspired.  Weekend getaways aren’t always possible (darn!), but there are simple things we can do to keep both our and our students’ inspiration tanks full.  I feel strongly (and there are influential scholars who hold the same point of view J) that immersing ourselves in creative processes helps us succeed in the more rigid, standardized activities that are a part of academia.  I love visiting local pottery painting shops: I see school-aged folks in the creative flow—painting without lines; as they peruse the pottery, trying to choose which piece to pluck from the shelves and paint, I hear them using their mathematical knowledge to decide how much of their allowance they are going to use.  There is no “best answer choice.”  There is motley inspiration.  Given our fast-paced school environments, the pace of pottery painting is a welcome change.  It teaches patience, too, since the pottery has to be fired and can’t be picked up for about a week.  Painting may not inspire you and/or your family, but please brainstorm those things that do and go out there every now and again to enjoy them!   

For me, antique stores and hip thrift shops both put me at peace and inspire me.  While winding through an Amelia Island antique store, I stumbled upon a book titled The Art of Doing Nothing (I didn’t buy it, but I did peek inside).  After days ruled by school-bells, and nights of extra-curricular activities, doing nothing can be just what’s needed.  Close the laptops, silence the smart phones, and find a spot on your favorite couch.  If it truly feels like fall outside (or you don’t mind Tampa’s thick humidity), get a blanket and head outdoors.  Whether you indulge in a non-educational movie, read a book that’s definitely not one of the classics, or simply stare at the puffy clouds, let yourself be fully present in those moments of nothingness.  Doing nothing from Friday night through Monday morning may not always be a good idea, but it’s not a good idea to work every weekend away.  When we go back to school on Monday feeling as though we never left, we are not likely to be the best we can be.  The feeling of work laden weekends is one I am familiar with, and one of my goals for the 2011-2012 academic year is to let some Sundays be lazy ones indeed.  Sometimes we all need to simply be. 

As you and your family prepare for the upcoming school-year, I hope you will all make the time to write a few goals aimed at helping you achieve a healthy work-life balance.  In order to be our best selves, we need to make time for the things and people that fill us with a sense of peace, imbue us with inspiration, and have nothing to do with number two pencils and bubbles.  Here’s to a refreshing end to summer and an energizing opening of another school-year!

by Tara Payor

Tafsu21@aol.com