Paperback Writer

Paperback Writer

Last week started like any other week. I rushed out the door, coffee in one hand, keys in the other, and a bagel in between my teeth. I was probably going to be late, unless by some miracle the 10 freeway parted in half like Moses and the great sea, or even like the fancy door at the mall that opens and welcomes you whether you are coming or leaving. I decided to relax since there was nothing I could do about the traffic. I turned on the radio,  but my usual station was not on, instead I heard dialogue between radio commentators. Not the typical morning banter, but an odd monotone conversation. Oh no! I soon realized my husband had left his podcast on, and I was now sucked into a very complex discussion about wisdom.

The podcast was being hosted by a sports psychologist, Dr. Michael Gervais, who defined wisdom as the threading of concepts that allows the mind to connect ideas. He looks to books as the first component in achieving wisdom. This does not mean that wisdom can come over night with the consumption of books, but rather by combining reading with the remaining two components do we begin to see true wisdom from our students.

Composing Wisdom

The second component, then, suggests inspired conversations with knowledgeable people. This is a practice that goes back centuries from Socrates to Mr. Rogers. Students often forget that although the teacher does most of the talking, daily lectures are conversations aimed to inspire curiosity.

The final component requires being in the moment. For children this comes easy as they get lost in video games or are swept away by magical adventures. Unfortunately that attention and desire to be present gets lost in our classrooms. It is our job as educators to facilitate and encourage as many connections as possible. How can we take wisdom a little further? Personally, my philosophy has come to be, that the artifact of wisdom is writing.

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?

-The Beatles “Paperback Writer”

In The Classroom

In the classroom it is common practice to use writing assessments as barometer of growth, and as means of proficiency. We display written example proudly, framed with colorful card stock. The importance of this ancient practice (writing) is not lost with the contemporary teacher, but we seldom execute this ancient practice ourselves within our daily lives.

Writing can be therapeutic, self-reflective, and a means of achieving wisdom. This does not require academic or professional writing, but rather the simple act of writing can unlock the benefits. Blogs, daily reflections, personal anecdotes, even journals can provide avenues of enlightenment.

I am not the first to think of this, but look towards thinkers which “wrote” with confidence and purpose. Minds such as John Lennon, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison all kept a journal. They wrote ideas that would change the world. 

Driven by this idea, I was encouraged to write a children’s book . Not for fame, or glory…not for money, or accolades…but for personal growth. The result was One The Corner of Smith and Camelot, a poetry book filled with personal illuminations that will forever be available to my students and those in search of the first component of wisdom. 

I know writing is not fashionable in an age where Siri and Alexa run our lives, but perhaps it will benefit us to sit down and write. Write about our experiences as teachers, write about our roles as educators, write about wisdom. Simply write. 

In search of wisdom,

Yvonne Milian