"...many
ways to crack a nut!' a wise old bean once said, which would seem apt for this
post on teaching and learning.
(But
be forewarned! This post is a little long-winded, adult-targeted, and
dangerously close to an educational rant, of sorts, so please click away if
such things play havoc with your temples!)
Since
being here, (and as my previous post indicated) I have been lucky to come and
know some incredibly committed young learners, who are dedicated in their
efforts within the Sangha. (The Sangha is the 3rd aspect of the Triple Gem of
Buddhism, which are the monks and nuns that practise Dharma, and who dedicate
their life to teaching this wisdom - from Lord Buddha's own teachings - to all
people).
Proud pieces of work!
The
hours these boys put in is indisputably commendable. However, one main question
occupying my mind is: what can us Brits learn from their ways of engaging
younger learners, and what can they perhaps learn from us?
Underlying
this question is one of value; what do we most value in society? What do we value as success? What do we
value as good learning? I think many people would be hard pressed to argue
against the obvious: that the pendulum of why we get ourselves an education
at all, has swung perilously close to the simple pragmatic and prosaic end of:
"Because you must get
yourself a decent* job, my dear!" (read: *highly-paid/socially respected/hard-working...).
Interestingly, this dominant addiction to honest hard work, as a primary source
of virtue, is protestant in origin too, if you wanted more historical background
(or indeed more alliteration!)
However, it seems that here, in this small pirivena, the children
are offered a different rationale for their diligent and Goliath efforts; a
rationale that evidently yields good fruit - in terms of respectful behaviour,
disciplined endeavours with a genuine humility and generosity of spirit - which
are held in abundance (very much like the tropical fruits here). Education
here is viewed more as a means by which you can better yourself spiritually, as
well as those around you. Personal gain, in a material or conventionally
western sense, is much further out of view, it would seem. (Although, I would not
suggest, at this stage, that personal ambitions have been dissolved as a significant
driving force either).
Pirivena by dusk - always a beautiful light.
Gal Vihara Temple, Polonnaruwa (an hour long lecture from staff...at 9pm, after getting up at 2am that same morning!)
Yet just in the nick of time, before I go painting a picture of
total educational bliss, it seems important to shine a spotlight on the
educators here too, for whom the process of learning is based more around the
highly-esteemed accumulation of facts and the gathering up of vast stores of
culturally-relevant knowledge (often learnt by repetitive rote). Whatsmore, if
this knowledge is given up in perfect oratory form, then all the greater is its
purity.
In Latin, the word 'educare' means to train or to mold. Alternatively, the Latin word 'educere' means something quite different, shifting the responsibility away from an over-active tutor and placing it within the hands of the learner herself: it means I lead, draw or take out. I find this to be such a wonderful piece of enlightening etymology, which could be interpreted still further as: leading myself out of the darkness). Of these two interpretations, or models, concerning the purpose and approach to education, it seems absolutely clear to me which is the modus operandi for teaching here, at the pirivena, and that many more learning institutions would do well to re-adjust their model of education to redress this imbalance, currently in favour of only the former model. That said, it also seems clear to me that we have a restrictive tendency in the west to believe that we must always select either this or that - rendering only one interpretation as the true and correct model, when clearly both interpretations have value, when up against the full array of disciplines and skills to be taught in today’s classrooms.
No interactive Whiteboard...quite an adjustment! 
A few Early Learning Centre resources (bought from charity shops before I left) have come in quite handy. Here the children are playing shops and buying goods on their shopping lists!
Finally, I have also been running an adults’ English class, with the
teaching staff here, between 7 and 8pm each evening. And while we operate mainly
within a merry dance of correct grammar and suitable syntax, something far more
interesting is happening. I am able to openly plant seeds of good practise from
home, such as the primary value of good questioning, and how this can unlock
deeper thinking from the (often passive) learners; or the benefits of recapping
and making links to prior learning; or even how to ensure more of the children are
participating for more of the time. This is quite exciting, and by 9pm, I am
often still in full education-geek mode, forcing myself to talk as slowly and
as clearly as possible... not so easy!
A school trip to Sigiriya Rock Palace!
This topic is certainly an emotive one for me; I cannot help but feel
strongly about it, so I struggle to align my words and sentences in a proper
orderly fashion. (Since drafting this, I have had to edit out big chunks, but I still feel this is
way too hefty a post, so thank you for sticking with it... next one will be
lighter, I promise!)
