Subject: abstract vs. concrete

Posted by Dela Robertson on 12/9/2006
In Reply To:abstract vs. concrete Posted by Lees Stuntz on 2/6/2006

Message:

Lees, thank you for the questions. I have thought about them off and on for a few days. I found them to be a gentle way of coming to the heart of the matter at hand.
I'll share with you my reflections:

Lees Stuntz asked, "How do we change students' behavior? What kind of a behavior would be exhibited by a Systems Citizen?"

Helping students, through a variety of ways, to understand and to experience that they are part of a community is an important step in bringing about change in student behavior. In order for this learning community to thrive, certain behaviors are necessary. Students understand this, and I have found them to be generally very reasonable. Discussing with students that this community is located within an environment: the physical campus, the desks, drinking fountains, cafeteria, etc. which needs to be cared for by all of us is a topic that is addressed and revisited when necessary. In other words, defining, highlighting and reinforcing with students that personal and social responsibility is the key to creating and sustaining a learning and caring community. I have found that students will come around and behave appropriately. This change may only be exhibited within a particular teacher's classroom, if the student does not value this community. By and large, if the student begins to experience a sense of pride and belonging, the student behavior becomes consistently positive within and outside the classroom.

A Systems Citizen understands that the community that he/she belongs to encompasses the entire human race…Homo sapiens in toto. The environment that the human race subsists in is the entire biosphere; therefore, the Systems Citizen is a Citizen of the world who understands that there truly are no boundaries when it comes to just about anything…stress on the ecosystems, pollution, population, disease, potable water, human rights, economic participation, and on and on. This was made very clear to me via a White Paper written by a group of SD/ST leaders about five or six years ago. This vision of a Systems Citizen resonated very deeply with my communal religious beliefs. These beliefs led me to be involved in a variety of activities, from participation in non-violent actions on behalf of social justice, to working with students in creating gardens on our campus. The very health and future of our planet is dependent upon more and more human beings living a lifestyle of the Systems Citizen.

Della Robertson
Teacher at Norwalk High School
Norwalk, CA

Follow Ups:

abstract vs. concrete - Richard Plate 2/9/2006