a tree?

I think one root of learning is the art of imitation. Frank Smith inspired this concept in his brilliant book, Insult to Intelligence. Smith writes, that we are attracted to learn, first from people doing things we think are worth doing. He calls those things clubs we'd like to join. We learn to play guitar because we want to be in the musicians' club. We may never be good enough to play in a club, but we're in the club as players. We learn to play chess, to act, write, debate, build, make, sell, etc, because, first someone we admired demonstrated those skills and second because we would like to see ourselves in that community of thinkers and doers. This echoes Pearse's "the only think we teach is the enthusiasm to learn." If you think about all things you know well, most of them would fit into this process, in some form.

So what's the pattern? What is the common denominator?

I think it's the profound step, the autonomous act of an individual. It's the conscious/conscience decision to be - Something in this world. To engage something, that offers us the cognitive and visceral experience of living on earth. Something that confirms our selves as existential beings (I really tried not to use that word, sorry).  Is this FREEDOM? Is this concept of freedom, Emerson's "Self-Reliance"? Is it one half of Buber's "I-Thou"?  I'm not sure, but I lean towards  -YES.

This works across human culture, in jungles of soil and jungles of concrete. Anthropology can teach us a lot about this. Tribal roles (healer, warrior, hunter, counselor,) and the decisions to adopt those roles are valued and necessary for both the individual's well-being, as well as, the society's.  And this (tribal role) process is very much alive in all of our modern cities and towns.

School, like the society it mirrors, offers a beautiful contradiction regarding this concept. We offer students a variety of roles and clubs to experience. We support kids in joining the clubs of writers, artists, musicians, scientists, etc.  In some ways, in some good schools, that's still the mission. But, the contradiction comes when schools believe and behave less in the student's interest and need of this autonomous act of learning, and demand control. Most school decisions are decisions of control and mediocre management. Most schools are not willing to let go enough to trust in this core function of human development. Most schools tend the ever-important leaves (of learning) by pruning and such, but forget or actively deny the roots - and the soil.

I want to tend the soil, first. and trust that the leaves will shine in the sun.