I was gazing at the burning red maple intoxicated in the aesthetic unspeakable when suddenly a dry yellow oak leave darted directly towards me and shot me right on my right chest. The unexpected “attack” disturbed me but at the same time amused me. I smiled and went, “ Hay, I know you. You were one of those that I gazed and amazed at two weeks ago.” Then I turned my eyes back to the maple and said” at that time, he was only an ugly duckling.”
This is probably the most important reason for most people to love the autumn, the progressive transformation. Some leaves change their colors at the very beginning of the season. Then more change happen. Even when the barks and twigs of some trees began to reveal, there are still more trees changing their colors to continue the beauty show. This successive and continuous progress never bores even the pickiest of the critic. Here lies the real beauty of autumn, and life.
What about people? Does God make people according to one same blueprint? Do people develop at the same pace intelligently? If we believe no two people are made exactly the same, why do we use one ruler to measure our students’ growth and one mode to shape their future? Why do we sacrifice our energy and resource to make sure that “no child left behind”?
Who are the kids left behind? How to define “left behind”? If a kid can solve a math problem that his peer can half a year ago, is he left behind? He may be just intellectually developed later, but which does not necessarily mean he is really behind. He is normal according to his own development speed. Is a kid who doesn’t do well with standardized test left behind? Gardner told us, there might exist difference between people’s learning styles. The kid who is not good at answering paper questions may be good at kinesthetic activities or music. However those skills are not tested, so they are ignored. Then he is labeled “behind.”
Is this simultaneity that important that all students should come up at the same level at the same time? If we expect the nature to work the same way, we would have all the showers in one week and spring is over; we would have all the flowers blossom over one night and wither at the same evening and summer is over; and we would have all leaves change at the same time and in the same color and winter starts. Then where would the beauty of life go?
amanda Said:
on November 24, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Shuang,
As usual, this is beautiful. I love your first paragraph. You write about nature in such a unique and beautiful way. I was not expecting the metaphor about students to come out of it, but it is actually a really interesting way to look at students and their development. I think you’ve hit on something that we often forget about. thanks for the reminder!
shuangwang Said:
on November 24, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Amanda, thanks! You are always so encouraging.
I like this piece,too. It seems that fianlly I could write to account my own feelings and thoughts.
Mary Frances Said:
on November 26, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Beautiful, Shuang. The progression of autumn as a metaphor for child development is thought provoking. Unfortunately, education “experts” in government want education to be a science rather than an art, which it is in many ways.
Perhaps they see autumn though the lens of science, and we see it as a lovely process of God, an artistic triumph.
Anyway, as usual, I love your unique point of view.
shuangwang Said:
on December 9, 2009 at 2:51 am
Mary Frances,
Thanks for the comment. what you said is so true!