teaching in reflection.

I am back in Arkansas after a long day of travel and am thankful to have a day of relative rest to allow me to prepare for tomorrow's classes. The last week was intense and a success, and I owe a great deal to a volunteer support staff that prepared stock ahead of time, made certain that my list of tools was on site, and assisted throughout my week in Portland. Besides my students, there were nearly a dozen members of the Guild of Oregon Woodworkers who at various times took part in helping my classes to take place. I should call out and thank each of these members by name but my mind is still a bit too fuzzy and weak at the moment to do so.

Readers have asked about the difference between teaching children and adults, as though one might be easier than another. There are differences at various stages in what the brain is capable of doing, and there are differences in the ease with which learning takes place.

As I reflect upon my own experience, I will share my observations. I invite others to do so as well. First, I am convinced that we each have the capacity to examine our own learning styles and should be encouraged to do so,  particularly if we are to wrestle control of education from the detached "expertise" that has made such a mess of schooling.

So a few questions are in order. Think about a situation in which you learned a lesson of particular significance. How old were you? Where were you? How many students were present? What were you doing? Were you working alone or being taught? Which of your senses were engaged? Was one of your senses predominant in what you learned? Who was teaching? Are there lessons to be drawn from your own schooling that might lend themselves to the creation of an ideal school?

Make, fix, create, and extend to others the love of learning likewise.