The Classical Introvert's Blog

  As a young teacher, I still consider myself as a learner. I would like to compare myself to a preschooler, filled with curiosity, and still fumbling with the classroom world. I am still familiarizing myself with the actual realm of teaching and learning. As I absorb new experiences, I admittedly make mistakes and am still in need of mentorship. Fortunately, my experienced co-teachers, who serve as my role models ensure me that I am not alone with my journey towards becoming a better educator. Relearning the foundations of education has helped me grasp a deeper understanding of the teaching-learning process. During my six months of teaching, my mistakes were due to my lack of confidence in my skills as a teacher. Seeing again the importance of understanding growth, development, and maturation, and the role of teachers has been enlightening. When I finally return to teaching after I finish this course, I feel positive that I will have acquired more skills to enhance my teaching m...

  Zen Shin, a Japanese Buddhist monk says “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” How inspiring is it that a flower focuses only on its growth and beauty without needing to compare with others to stand out? Flowers teach us a valuable lesson about embracing one’s own uniqueness and appreciating one’s own journey toward self-improvement rather than being consumed by comparison.             Flowers seem to understand the concept of individuality better than school systems. I grew up in a culture of the traditional school system where there is a heavy emphasis on competition and comparison. Underperforming students are grouped separately from the ones who excel. The practice of segregation felt like a punishment for not blooming well with the others. It undermined the students’ needs and different ways of learning. It harbors a feeling of isolation and inadequacy that can diminish the d...