If Education is a Symphony, Let's Toot Our Own Horns!

Picture Source: http://goo.gl/ccHkf 

No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. — H.E. Luccock

Symphony, as Daniel Pink describes, is the ability to put together the pieces.  It is the capacity to synthesize rather than to analyze; to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields; to detect broad patterns rather than to deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair.  It is the ability to spot trends, draw connections, and discern the big picture (Pink, 2005).

Here is my big picture of education—my landscape if you will.  My philosophy is that my students are your students, and your students are my students.  As an educator, I feel like we have a collective responsibility to do what is best for all students.  In reality, we as educators are all teaching the same students—the leaders of tomorrow—that will eventually be taking over for us when we retire.

We should all think of ourselves as co-learners.  We can all learn something from each other.  And we should be proud of what we can individually contribute.  However, if we don’t put ourselves out there—if we don’t take creative risks, and share our experiences—then we could be potentially impeding the learning and experience of others.  So, let's keep an open-mind when learning, sharing, and collaborating because after all, it is for the good of our students … our future leaders!

I truly believe that each of us has something unique and valuable to contribute to the field of education.  And if we each share and learn from each other, then we will have successfully synthesized our individual strengths and talents into a symphony—"a whole whose magnificence exceeds the sum of its parts" (Pink, 2005).

As educators, let's create an educational symphony.  Let's toot our own horns to the same song.  Let's celebrate and share those unique qualities and talents that we all have.  Because ultimately, all of us, are smarter, than any one of us!  And together, we can achieve greatness!


Reference

1. Pink, D. H. (2005). A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books.