Spinning Webs
Kelly Marie Willard
A spider never
spins her web with the same intention and expectation that a builder builds his
house. A house is a relatively permanent fixture, able to withstand many
forces, while a web is ever-changing and its future is most uncertain.
Throughout my lifetime, I have spun many webs, attempting to grow and reach
further in my journey, and I have been fortunate that many of the webs that I
have spun have provided and flourished. But as life fades away, so too do the
webs. Each web is built with its own purpose and once that purpose has been
fulfilled, the spider moves on and the web is left to the forces of nature-
still existing and providing meaning in the heart of the spider, even though
the physical structure may have passed away.
As a learner, the webs that have been so carefully spun for formal education have fulfilled their purpose and it is now time to focus on spinning webs of experiential learning. With the completion of this Masters degree, I am uncertain if I will pursue further advancements in formal schooling. This is not because formal schooling has lost its value, but merely because I have discovered the value of learning through life experience, trial and error, application of knowledge, and human interconnectivity. It is now time to learn from myself, from others, and from new life experiences, and allow them to shape the webs that I spin.
Learning from myself will focus on self-reflection and trial and error. I have been equipped with a great deal of knowledge through my coursework and now it is time to put it into practice and see what works with the students and see what works for me. Each classroom and teacher is different and no matter what has been discussed in textbooks, each classroom and teacher will respond in different ways. It may be possible that the most sure-fire method for handling a situation will not work for a particular student or teacher and it is time for me to discover what does work. Self-reflection, observation, and inquiry will guide me toward a more genuine teaching style and I will come to understand what is best for myself and for my students.
Learning from others will focus on working with and gaining insight from successful and seasoned teachers who are working in my field right now. I have focused primarily on learning about teaching and now I would like to focus my attention on learning from teaching. I am lucky enough to work in a district that values learning and observation, so throughout the year and the years to come, regardless of where I end up, I would like to use my time to go and observe teachers in their classrooms and understand how they function and the tricks they use to get students motivated. I want to see how situations and student personalities are handled in real life as opposed to how they are discussed in textbooks and online discussion. These learning opportunities will provide authentic experiences that I can model in my own classroom.
Learning through life experience will take many forms and can hardly be envisioned. I have no concept of what my life will bring as it unfolds, but I will be ready for it when it happens. However, one type of experience that I will anticipate is that of immersing myself in world cultures and learning from those who are different from me. The focus of this degree was to learn about how different groups of people in ability, race, culture, socioeconomic status, environment, etc, learn and handle the environment around them. I have a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures and I know my travels will continue to help me learn about people throughout the world. As I learn, I will discover how they learn, and will hopefully discover how I could help their learning and as well as my own.
As time passes, there will never come a day that I will stop spinning webs and one thing is certain: change will come and the purpose and direction for each new web will vary. My job as a spider is to adapt. No web will ever be the same as another, last for the same amount of time, withstand the same forces of nature, or be influenced by the same people and experiences. So, my job now as a learner, is to allow change to occur, adapt and mold my webs around it, and then allow the web to take shape and carry me to a new place in my journey.
As a learner, the webs that have been so carefully spun for formal education have fulfilled their purpose and it is now time to focus on spinning webs of experiential learning. With the completion of this Masters degree, I am uncertain if I will pursue further advancements in formal schooling. This is not because formal schooling has lost its value, but merely because I have discovered the value of learning through life experience, trial and error, application of knowledge, and human interconnectivity. It is now time to learn from myself, from others, and from new life experiences, and allow them to shape the webs that I spin.
Learning from myself will focus on self-reflection and trial and error. I have been equipped with a great deal of knowledge through my coursework and now it is time to put it into practice and see what works with the students and see what works for me. Each classroom and teacher is different and no matter what has been discussed in textbooks, each classroom and teacher will respond in different ways. It may be possible that the most sure-fire method for handling a situation will not work for a particular student or teacher and it is time for me to discover what does work. Self-reflection, observation, and inquiry will guide me toward a more genuine teaching style and I will come to understand what is best for myself and for my students.
Learning from others will focus on working with and gaining insight from successful and seasoned teachers who are working in my field right now. I have focused primarily on learning about teaching and now I would like to focus my attention on learning from teaching. I am lucky enough to work in a district that values learning and observation, so throughout the year and the years to come, regardless of where I end up, I would like to use my time to go and observe teachers in their classrooms and understand how they function and the tricks they use to get students motivated. I want to see how situations and student personalities are handled in real life as opposed to how they are discussed in textbooks and online discussion. These learning opportunities will provide authentic experiences that I can model in my own classroom.
Learning through life experience will take many forms and can hardly be envisioned. I have no concept of what my life will bring as it unfolds, but I will be ready for it when it happens. However, one type of experience that I will anticipate is that of immersing myself in world cultures and learning from those who are different from me. The focus of this degree was to learn about how different groups of people in ability, race, culture, socioeconomic status, environment, etc, learn and handle the environment around them. I have a passion for traveling and experiencing new cultures and I know my travels will continue to help me learn about people throughout the world. As I learn, I will discover how they learn, and will hopefully discover how I could help their learning and as well as my own.
As time passes, there will never come a day that I will stop spinning webs and one thing is certain: change will come and the purpose and direction for each new web will vary. My job as a spider is to adapt. No web will ever be the same as another, last for the same amount of time, withstand the same forces of nature, or be influenced by the same people and experiences. So, my job now as a learner, is to allow change to occur, adapt and mold my webs around it, and then allow the web to take shape and carry me to a new place in my journey.