“If you read the professional literature, you quickly get the impression that the well-being of the forest is only of interest insofar as it is necessary for optimizing the lumber industry… Because it was my job to look at the hundreds of trees every day–spruce, beeches, oaks, and pines–to assess the their suitability for the lumber mill and their market value, my appreciation of trees was also restricted to this narrow point of view.”
Peter Wholleben, The Hidden Life of Trees
“If you read the professional literature you quickly get the impression that the well-being of education is only of interest insofar as it is necessary for optimizing the testing industry… Because it was my job to look at hundreds of students every day–high, low, in-between–to assess their suitability for the testing mill and their academic value, my appreciation of students was also restricted to this narrow point of view.”
Monte Syrie, the Hidden Life of Students.
I am reading the Hidden Life of Trees right now , and as I am, I am finding many parallels between trees and students, forests and education. And while I don’t have time to fully formulate my thinking on this this morning, I was struck again by this parallel as I sat in the dark with cup of coffee number one, wondering about John and how I was going to find the right feedback for him. For him. Not for Sally or Jimmy or Susie, but John. His tree and the necessary nutrients for him to grow. And I found it. Not in the rubric. In him. I had to see him in the forest, and I did.
“Life as a forester became exciting once again. Every day in the forest was a day of discovery. This led me to unusual ways of managing the forest. When you know that trees experience pain and have memories and that tree parents live together with their children, then you can no longer just chop them down and disrupt their lives with large machines.”
Peter Wholleben, The Hidden Life of Trees
“Life as a teacher became exciting again. Every day in the classroom was a day of discovery. This led me to unusual ways of teaching the classroom. When you know that students experience pain and have memories and that parents live together with their children, then you can no longer just rank and sort them and disrupt their lives with large tests.”
Monte Syrie, The Hidden Life of Students
John needs me to see him and what lies hidden. But he also needs me to see the rest of the trees in the forest, the Sallys, the Jimmys, and the Susies. For there are roots there that feel, that connect, that remember.
“I will never stop learning from them, but even what I have learned so far under their leafy canopy exceeds anything I could have ever dreamed of. I invite you to share with me the joy trees can bring us. And, who knows, perhaps on your next walk in the forest, you will discover for yourself wonders great and small.”
Peter Wholleben, The Hidden Life of Trees
“I will never stop learning from them, but even what I have learned so far under their lofty spirits exceeds anything I could ever have dreamed of. I invite you to share with me the joy students can bring us. And, who knows, perhaps during your next lesson in the classroom, you will discover for yourself wonders great and small.”
Monte Syrie, The Hidden Life of Students.
I will never stop learning from them.
Happy Wednesday, all. Sorry for the odd post.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
This is wonderful, beautiful, so necessary. Our students need teachers like you who SEE them, the individual humans they are, not the test scores, percentages and other data we read to infuse more systems and measurement. Those are the teeth in the saws that cut at them, measure them in ways that cause them to question their value rather than value themselves for their uniqueness… I could ramble on and on, but I appreciate you stepping out and calling out education and educators. WE have to change so that our students can flourish, much like farming and foresting have to change. It is preservation of the species of a current generation of children and our future leaders.
Wow, so well-said, Cami. Thank you for sharing your thinking. And thank you for your kind support. I appreciate you.