All posts by Crater Morgan

How does consciousness play a role in education?

Biological & Cognitive Development in Adolescence
(Philip, 2007, p. 9)

I’m really fascinated by a lot of these concepts coming together: education, adolescence and, now, consciousness. So we have these adolescents that are not always conscious of the ever-changing feelings that flow through their minds and bodies and then, we put them in the context of a classroom. What is a teacher supposed to do with all of that? We can explain consciousness, but do you think it’s important that we teach it? As educators we obviously have to value our content and the limited instruction time we’re given, but when do we begin to value the little humans in our classrooms more than the content we teach? And when/if we begin to do that, how will we ensure that we’re valuing their personal experiences in this world, especially during such a critical point in their lives? I’m personally very intrigued by trauma-informed education, for instance, and how it focuses on teaching children how to orally and cognitively connect the left and right hemispheres of their brain to be able to identify and express the way they feel. There are tremendous advantages for children with traumatic backgrounds to be able to do this, but I’d personally argue that it’s equally important for all children to learn to do the same. So what if educators were actually trained to help students, especially adolescents, express what they’re feeling and unlock their consciousness? I wonder how helpful this type of education would be.

What comes after adolescence?

Perspectives & History of Adolescence

“People between 20 and 34 are taking longer to finish their educations, establish
themselves in careers, marry, have children and become financially independent…” (Cohen, 2010)

The most intriguing aspect of this quote has nothing to do with what it actually says and, rather, with the fact that the information here is used to describe the current generation’s (age 20-34) Peter Pan syndrome, as if all those choices are immature or childish and, therefore, lacking of all responsibility. I ultimately understand that the point of the combined readings of this section is to show the complexity of adolescence, which it is, but there seems to be a confusing disconnect between this “in-between” stage in the middle of adolescence and young adulthood. This is a fascinating topic to develop opinions around all on its own, but when we look at the implications it may or may not have on education, I think our old fashioned expectations of adulthood are only hindering those that are in that “in-between” stage simply trying to make the best decisions for their circumstances. A man by the name of Mr. Furstenberg from Cohen’s New York Times article (2010) even states himself that “we’re still living with the archaic idea that people enter adulthood in there late teens and early 20s”, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve taught 18-year old students, and as amazing as they are, I’m scared for any society that believes those children are adults. I don’t know what 18-year olds from the 80s looked like, but it just can’t be the same.

What does it mean to build community anyway?

Observing to Learn and Learning to Observe

“Through their work together, project participants continually referred to the importance of the project as a vital way of them connecting to one another, supporting one another, and finding possible ways to address problems and discrimination they continued to face in school and society” (Roxas, Gabriel & Becker, 2017, p. 24).

The aspect of this project that resonates with me the most is the newcomers’ ability to integrate into the community and, at the same time, the community’s opportunity to meet and interact with each other, especially those that are new. I think a lot of people, i.e. educators, administration, parents, student, local community members, etc., struggle with the idea of “community”, and what does that even mean? How do you achieve it, and not only for just a moment, but long-lasting connections for the betterment of the greater whole? Continue reading What does it mean to build community anyway? →

Maybe transforming our biases shouldn’t be the goal

Observing to Learn and Learning to Observe, Urban Adolescents

“Because in the end, the most socially just exercise might not be transforming biases, but revealing them—allowing teacher learners to see where they are with respect to learning to serve. This way, should they choose not to, or should they fail to change, they can opt out. And both the teacher learners and their potential students might be better off for it” (Kirkland, 2014).

After reading about teacher preparedness to serve + school-to-prison pipeline statistics, I want to piece some thoughts together to develop a big-picture labyrinth, so hear me out and tell me what you think. Continue reading Maybe transforming our biases shouldn’t be the goal →