The Dualities of Our Realities
For the past eighteen months, many educators and students have been bemoaning the period of upheaval of their regular lives, while others have gleefully welcomed the new opportunities that presented themselves. The difference in reactions is an example of the natural dualities of our world—a relational concept referred to as yin and yang in ancient Chinese philosophy.
Yin and yang are two opposing yet two interdependent components on which our lives depend. Yin is associated with descriptions such as dark, negative, yielding and receptive, while yang is associated with light, positive, assertive and creative. Think also of the ebb and flow of the tide, the positive and negative structures of the DNA, and the positive and negative currents in the world of electricity. These seemingly opposing components define and complement each other. Each is the part of a whole thus giving rise to the other and creating a role in the process of transformation.
This wholeness is represented by the yin-yang symbol—the circle. Here is another way to view this principle. There would be no ‘up’ if there was no ‘down’; no ‘day’ if there was no ‘night’; no ‘good’ if there was no ‘bad’; no ‘shrinkage’ if there was no ‘expansion’. Should we subscribe to this principle, then we would embrace that our opposing perceptions, interpretations, thoughts and opinions rely on one another to form a whole. How each of us responds to the yin and yang of the world is germane to the quality of our lives. Now, let us examine some of the implications of these opposing, interdependent components for our lives.
As educators, we seek to inspire our students to gain mastery of key lesson concepts as well as develop related skills, attitudes, values and beliefs to create positive lifelong changes. However, the dualities of our world point to the need for us to undergo transformation ourselves in order to bring about the desired transformation in our students. The current pandemic has been enabling us to appreciate this yin-yang relational concept as we shifted from the known to the unknown. The comparison table below depicts some examples of transformation undertaken within the teaching-learning context of our institution since March 2020:
| Educators | Students |
|---|---|
|
Immersed in training sessions to develop the requisite technological knowledge and skills to host virtual classes in both synchronous and asynchronous modalities. |
Immersed in training sessions to learn how to access their lectures, course materials and tasks, as well as how to submit their assessment tasks through varied platforms. |
|
Employed a variety of online graphic design tools, videos and gamification techniques, among other learning tools, to populate their course containers in order to attract and maintain student interest. |
Participated in increased self-directed virtual learning opportunities. |
|
Amended courses that demonstrated the use of technology in the classroom to include units of work that demonstrated technology as the classroom. |
Accessed lessons on technology integration as well as the hosting of virtual classes; became more functional in their varied virtual practicum environments |
The comparison reveals that when yin interacts with yang, a cyclical pattern emerges—as educators are transformed, the transformation of the students begins to manifest itself and take shape. The educators and students are continuously adjusting to and transforming into each other in a predictable pattern.
Transformational experiences are usually tough and emotional. Educators and students alike expressed feelings of anxiety, fear and uncertainty during the transformation process. We persevered, however, and not only performed well within the virtual space of The Mico, but in schools across 13 parishes in Jamaica through field experiences, conference as well as webinar engagements, virtual workshops and consultancies. Here is the thing—The shadow cast over our lives by the pandemic has been unfolding as an opportunity for developing increased competences. When we learn to appreciate that transformation is continuous and cyclic, we will accommodate a more balanced view of the educational space. If we are not attuned to the patterns of transformation, then we are simply passive observers of life who allow ourselves to be swept along, often engaging in futile resistance.
Coming out of this experience, here are some key questions for your rumination
- How comfortable are you with transformation?
- How cognizant are of you life’s transformation? Do you know when to be still versus when to act? Do you know when to yield versus when to advocate?
In healthy routine workouts, there is much talk of ‘balance exercise’; among health-conscious diners, there is talk of a ‘balanced diet’; in the financial world, there is talk of a ‘balanced budget’; and in teaching, there is talk of ‘balanced instruction’. These are but a few examples of our language indicating an awareness of the state of being balanced. The creation of balance is a deliberate process that requires much relaxation. It involves:
- the development of an awareness of the different components of the phenomenon
- the testing of one’s realities by an examination of one’s experience
- resistance to the change through professional dialogue
- coming to a compromise based on incoming revelations
- adjustment of our stance.
In order for us to achieve a sense of balance as educators, we need to consider the design of our classes. Although students have their personalities, when they are grouped as a class, they tend to develop a class personality as well. Is our class focused, reserved, inactive, playful, serious…? Do we have too many or too few types of any kind of personality within any of our classes? Should we facilitate two different groups of students in the same manner?
Bearing in mind that yin and yang are an inseparable pair that form a whole, then when there is an increase in one personality type, the other personality type decreases to maintain balance. For example, if we emphasize one personality type over the other, it will cause loss of balance—a situation that creates dysfunctionality. Therefore, we should consider gauging our classes and modifying our teaching style along with our own personality to match the personality of our class. This creation of balance lends itself to a positive classroom environment and enhanced student performance.
Some key questions for your rumination
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how balanced are you as an educator/student in your classroom?
- What are the areas of imbalance in your classroom life?
- How have you intentionally set out to correct any state of imbalance?
Daily Routine
Let us now look at the implications for us at the personal level. Opposites are a natural part of the real world. However, nature does not make value distinctions amongst these opposites; humans do. We regularly state that there are “two sides to every story”, so instead of holding on for dear life to a single side, we should choose to reconcile both. In doing so, we would be able to detect that both components are not as discrete as they seem. They complement each other. We also would realise that some of our struggles are a consequence of either our failure to recognise transformation or our resistance to transformation.
If we are attuned to patterns of transformation, then we can more skilfully navigate our space. We can identify and address concerns early, and we know when to intervene. Instead of trying to assert that our opinions are right, but those of others are wrong, let us come to a compromise. There may be commonalities and benefits couched in opinions presented by both sides. The others may not be wrong, but simply different. This acceptance creates balance and goodwill within us and with those around us. It also broadens our perspectives thus enabling us to seize growth opportunities.
Life’s struggles can create imbalance and prevent personal growth. Some of us perceive the goal of life as perfection. By now, you would have recognised that perfection has flaw as its complement. Therefore, we are all constituted of these two elements. We cannot separate them, but we can control them. Our flaws are our critical defining characteristics; they are markers of our individuality. We need to work on making our good qualities become more prominent than our bad qualities. To do so, we need to control our emotions, thoughts and deeds. Being balanced encourages us to accept ourselves in order to realise inner peace and make strategic choices.
Final key questions for your rumination
- What are the areas of imbalance in your personal life?
- Have you tried to strike a work-life/study-life balance?
- Have you intentionally sought to set aside ‘quiet time’, ‘exercise time’ and/or ‘fun time’?
