“People think of education as something they can finish.” —Isaac Asimov / design by @visualizevalue

I’ve written before about the ways that the metaphors we choose shape the experiences we have. [1]

And if you look at the circle from another angle, is it actually a cone—like a mountain we are continually ascending in loops?

It’s the difference between the student thinking, “I’m done with _____” and “I’m growing in _____.”

Metaphors organize our thinking. Our thinking organizes our behavior. Our behavior organizes our lives.

At your school, is learning a line? (How many school people talk about “the sprint to the end of the year”?)

Or is learning a circle? (How many school people repeat the same curriculum every year?)

What are some better metaphors for the learning you want to see happen at your school?

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[1] On houses vs. journeys. On anchors and hooks. On murmurations. On the firehose. On phase change. On pre-existing conditions. And many more…

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Lines and Circles

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