Is Education More Like a

Garden, Prison, Factory,

or Job?

Insights from Educate., 9th Edition

Julia Brodsky, a contributor to Forbes, poses an interesting question in her article, “How Metaphors Shape Our Ideas About Education.” Brodsky interviews experienced educator and writer, Julia Turchaninova, exploring the most common metaphors that are used to describe the complicated system that is education.

Turchaninova states, “metaphors help us visualize and convey our mental models (the intuitive frameworks we carry in our mind that help us interpret the world) in a succinct manner.”

Turchaninova begins optimistically using the oft-referred to “garden” metaphor first posed by John Amos Comenius, known as the father of modern education. In this metaphor, schools are seen as a fruitful place where seeds of knowledge are planted in growing children by their faithful and caring teachers. More recently, Brodsky notes, the garden metaphor has been “polluted” in the sense that modern farming includes GMOs, pesticides, and other unsavory methods that are the unintended consequences of diligent planting.

As a new teacher, way back before the pandemic clawed its way into our already fraught system, I would agree with the garden metaphor of schools. I was the typical idealistic educator determined to instill a love of reading in all the children that graced my classroom with their curiosity and motivation to learn. Of course, as I grew in the system, I learned that educators do the best they can with what they are given. After all, children are not plants that are only grown within the confines of the school. I learned quickly that there were only so many factors I could control when educating a child — my limited reach being one of them.

Turchaninova moves quickly to what opponents call the “prison” metaphor. Through this lens, schools are viewed as mandatory sentences for students who have little choice in what they learn, how they learn, and when they learn it. If parents will it, there are no options to withdraw or simply to opt-out of classes that hold no interest for them.

With the advent of standardized testing, many opponents of the modern school system note the “mass manufacturing” of students in a system that was designed to prepare children for industrial roles. With this metaphor, we view the system as “standardized” where every child receives the same education regardless of skills, abilities, or prior knowledge. We seek to create “sameness” among children with the same results across cities, states, and countries.

Opposing this view is the “physician” approach where we view education as a personalized endeavor, similar to how a doctor would consult with a patient. As unique beings, we come to a medical office with problems that only pertain to our physical or mental systems. Turchaninova soundly explains, “No doctor will prescribe the same diagnostic procedures for all his patients regardless of the symptoms!”

Probably my least favorite metaphor that is commonly wielded by parents is the “job” metaphor. The job of children is to go to “work” and learn. This is how we produce citizens of the world as they progress through their “educational careers.” However, since most students are burdened with daily homework, projects, and group work, they are forced to bring their jobs home with them. As someone who values free time, I strongly object to creating even more of a “work” burden on students who put in their time during the long days at school.

Turhaninova concludes, “It would be great for us as a society to come up with a new set of metaphors that help us express the essence of the kind of education we want for our children in the upcoming century.”

I agree. Although some of these metaphors hit home, they don’t fully encompass the complexity of the educational environment. While we definitely need more positive comparisons, perhaps we should come to terms with the fact that there may not be any that suffice.

Learning is a unique endeavor, perhaps our education system should reflect this better.

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Education News and Research

The latest Hechinger Report notes that more women are holding key education policymaker jobs. Although 77% of educators are female, only 31% of district chiefs are women. Gail Cornwall notes educational leaders are calling on school systems to better balance gender roles in leadership. The key question is whether having more women policymakers has an impact on educational decisions. According to Daisy Gonzales, deputy chancellor of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office,” “Women’s willingness to collaborate is a residue of how women have been asked to work.” Regardless of work styles, it is essential to ensure workers are equally represented in leadership.

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Professional Learning and Inspiration

​Enduring Practices From Remote Teaching by Samantha Pack, Edutopia

After a year of leveling up teaching and technology skills to meet the needs of remote learners, teachers are considering what practices they can bring back to the brick-and-mortar classroom. Samantha Pack notes that she will reconsider the daily agenda that is digital, creating a more accessible and flexible reminder system for students. In addition, Pack notes she will use chat tools, such as Google Docs, to create more community environment that transcends the usual live discussion. Soliciting student feedback and incorporating brain breaks are other suggestions that Pack has for educators.

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​Teaching LGBTQ history: As 'systemic silence' lifts, new challenges for educators, students by Cory Collings, Savannah Morning News

Cory Collins writes that there has been a silencing of voices across the history curriculum, including Asian-American life and Indigenous nations’ post-colonization voices. Collins writes “within these histories — and within every culture’s history — queer people lived.” These stories are largely untold in our schools, leaving students to believe that queer people are a recent phenomenon suddenly asking for rights. Collins calls on educators to uncover the hidden histories and find a space for the voices that have long been silenced.

It’s the method that makes recovering local history and uplifting cultures’ histories of resilient joy so valuable and relevant to students. It’s the difference between a hero who seems untouchable and a precedent that lives within each individual.

​Burnout Isn't Just Exhaustion. Here's How To Deal With It - MindShift by Rhitu Chatterjee and Andee Tagle

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially defined burnout as a syndrome. Many people, including educators, are eeling from the personal and professional ramifications of the pandemic, some of which are still occurring as we continue to find a new way towards normal. Chatterjee and Tagle somberly note burnout as “a risk factor for depression, substance abuse, and even suicide. Burnout can also be contagious and often affects entire workplaces.” The authors go on to cite how to spot the effects of burnout and understand when you are working and giving too much. In addition, the authors contend that workplaces should have mechanisms in place to help curtail burnout among employees.

Whether working from home or not, many people are feeling burned out during the coronavirus pandemic. A new survey found that nearly 90% of respondents in more than 40 countries felt that their work lives were getting worse during the pandemic. And more than 60% felt that they were experiencing burnout often or very often.

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About the Editor

​Jennifer Osborne is an experienced educator with graduate degrees in Educational Leadership and Guidance and Counseling. She has taught in five countries across a wide variety of classrooms and schools. Jennifer is passionate about authentic education for students and personalized professional learning for teachers.

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