On Wisdom

Plato once said: 

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."

According to Wikipedia, the definition of wisdom is:

Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. 

Shocking....yes...I know....I used wikipedia. I agree with using it, in the correct way, by the way. Like any other 21C Learning Tool, it can be used correctly in the classroom, but more on that later.

One of the consistences amongst various ways of thinking on wisdom has been that wise people are those who are slow to speak, slow to anger, and contemplative.

Wisdom lies in just about every culture throughout history. The greeks personified it in godesses Metis and Athena; the Romans used Minerva; the Inuit people of Northern Canada said that a person became wise when they could see what needed to be done and did it without being asked; Native Americans believed wisdom lay in being balanced with nature as well as being socially balanced.

According to Andrew Harter, in his book Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification:

• A wise person has self-knowledge.
• A wise person seems sincere and direct with others.
• Others ask wise people for advice.
• A wise person's actions are consistent with his/her ethical beliefs.

According to the various world religions, we attain wisdom through God. It is deemed one of the greatest gifts.

I may come back to a more thorough definition later on in my blog...but I digress. 

Throughout my whole life, I have been accused of talking too much, and too fast. Caffeine has not done anything to slow me down, or get my to talk less. 

One of the consistencies that is noticed in Wisdom is the ability to control your speech, and knowing when to talk and when not to.

A wise person knows this and doesn't just blabber on.

And I've noticed that in many of the people I've worked with/experienced in my life who seem to personify Wisdom. There are a few at my current school, as well as those I've encountered on my travels and in my life in Newfoundland. I won't name names, as it wouldn't be fair, but I can reassure you that if you ask me personally, I would gladly tell you.

Regardless, it leads me into the wisdom of speech in the classroom.

As a teacher, I have a desire to strike the balance of good speech, not rambling when setting up lessons, and being clear at the same time.

As teachers we are taught to give our kids clear expectations. I think it's more than just clear expectations. It's wisdom in what we say at all times. It's the wisdom not to speak all the time. To slow down when needed and let things happen. To use the right words that are not just clear, but also direct, sincere, kind, and nourishing.

And to only speak when we need to. To listen 85% of the time and speak 15%. And not respond right away if we think we'll be "foolish" with our talk.  Sometimes it pays to not say something right away.

After all, we're not in the classroom to listen to ourselves. We're there to help the kids develop their voice. In whatever way that is. 

So, as educators, parents, citizens of our growingly-global-world we have the responsibility to be wise in everything we do. 

Our society demands immediacy. To do things now. Wisdom demands slowness, and thought. I think doing the later rather than the former is probably a better decision.

I think this one is worthy of a few specific examples, which I will provide in a later entry. Once I have thoroughly sought them out.