From this week’s reading assignment, chapter 12 really stood
out to me. My first reaction to the chapter was jealousy—I was so envious of
those few, fortunate music students of Zander’s who had the opportunity to
study under so many scholars in England! After some reflection, I became even
more jealous of the scholars themselves, who had the opportunity to meet with
students in an informal, ungraded setting, to share their knowledge and
insights with an eager audience of pupils. (I realize that Zander’s point in
relating this anecdote is not to emphasize the nature of the learning
environment; however, as I have recently been asked to consider my ideal
learning environment—both for the sake of this MAC course and at the school
where I teach, my mind focused on this aspect of Zander’s story.)
I consider myself very lucky to work in the school where I
do, where students take their college plans for granted and pursue academic
success. Still, I yearn for an educational setting that is somehow apart from
the constant struggle over grades, and that allows teachers to define their own
standards for student success. Zander’s model sounds like one I’d like to follow!
Zander, R. S., & Zander, B. (2000).
The art of possibility [Electronic]. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Press.
