"Do Not Compare Yourself with Other. Compare with Yesterday’s Self."
-Soyeon Kim_
After reading “Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander & Benjamin Zander
- “Michelangelo is often quoted as having said that inside every block of stone or marble dwells a beautiful statue; one need only remove the excess materials to reveal the work of art within. If we were to apply this visionary concept to education, it would be pointless to compare one child to another. Instead, all the energy would be focused on chipping away at the stone, getting rid of whatever is in the way of each child’s developing skills, mastery, and self-expression.” (p.26)
- “Each student in this class will get an A for the course…However, there is one requirement that you must fulfill to earn this grade: Sometimes during the next two weeks, you must write me a letter dated next May, which begins with the word, ‘Dear Mr. Zander, I got my A because…,’ and in this letter you are to tell, in as much detail as you can, the story of what will have happened to you by next May that is in line with this extraordinary grade.” (p.27)
Individualized instruction and Multiple Intelligence theory are of the most popular current issues in education and this book also supports the idea of Individual-based education by saying that everyone has one’s own strength that needs to be thoughtfully approached. As a result, one can think beyond the limitations and succeed in one’s expertise.
In this competitive modern society, people learn to compete with others in the earlier stage as soon as they enter the schools. Competition gets more intense as the society gets more complex. Ranking, grading, standardizing, all these systems display comparison one to the other. “Who is better than whom?” becomes the core question of educational settings as well as job field. This competition mindset often times discourages students from finding one’s own interest and strength. Students learn to limit themselves comparing with exceptional students. Even in my art class, some students often say, “Her work makes mine look bad.” Or “I am not better than others.” In contrast, other students always remind me how great they are. “I am the most talented student. I am the best in my class.” They refuse to listen and their works are not the best that they can produce. They are content with their own work and settle before they try their best. I noticed that many students constantly compare themselves with other and get discouraged or build distorted form of self-esteem.
This is when individualized instruction plays a great role in education. I try to find each student’s style of art and try their best in their own way. I ask students not to compare with other because they are simply different people. Students in fact, have unique styles and have potential to be amazing but I do not see everyone demonstrates their potential. I have noticed some educators only praise to raise students’ self-esteem but excessive praising promotes distorted self-esteem. Students become unable to take constructive criticism. They also settle too early to push their limitations, which is not their best yet.
I really enjoy and respect Zander’s approach of individualized instruction. Zander did a wonderful approach in a way that each person sets one’s own goal and push the limitations with self-developed guidelines in the letter of “I deserve A because…” (p.27) In the student letters, they already knew their strength and weakness that they want to develop. They set their future goal as if it was already accomplished. It was self-studied so students didn’t have to take it personally. Plus, because they preset their grade as A, their comments were positive and constructive. This method really made me think how I can teach my teenagers who fiercely struggle with their identity everyday. I want to help them raise their self-esteem in a positive way so that they can take constructive criticism at the same time focus on their own development. Students should not compare themselves with others but their yesterday’s self.
Soyeon I have to say that when reading the section about writing the letters on why they got their A, I never looked at it as individual learning or teaching, but really that is what it is. As I was reading it I kept thinking, "Wouldn't it be great to be able to do this with my students." You are right, the instant positive grade turned their attention from the negative to the positive. I also agree that thanks to today's society students are competitive right out of the gate. It is so hard to make students realize that just because they didn't get a high a grade as someone else that they didn't achieve something just as much or perhaps greater. That is why individual instruction is great, and I wish I had more time for it!
ReplyDeleteI agree that praise can be a tricky thing. Too much distorts as well as too little. Students must be encouraged to find their strengths and work from them instead of constantly seeing what they lack and what others have or conversely what they have and others lack. Achieving this is difficult as an instructor because we too see limited time and resources instead of the abundance of possibilities that our chosen vocation affords.
ReplyDeleteI applaud your efforts to try and help your students find their individual voice. Especially in the arts it is important for students to see their own ingenuity and innate creativity not just someone else's technical proficiency compared to their lack thereof.