Metaphors we teach by

Metaphors we live by

The title is taken from George The title is taken from George Lakoff and Mark JohnsonLakoff and Mark Johnson’’s (1980) s (1980) book book ‘‘Metaphors We Live ByMetaphors We Live By’’

They argue that much of our They argue that much of our thinking about thinking about everythingeverything is in is in terms of terms of metaphors

Metaphors link a new and Metaphors link a new and unfamiliar concept to an existing unfamiliar concept to an existing well-known conceptwell-known concept

They are related to similes and They are related to similes and analogiesanalogies

Our purpose this morning is to Our purpose this morning is to spend a little time thinking about spend a little time thinking about the metaphors that we the metaphors that we unconsciously use in thinking unconsciously use in thinking about teaching and learning, and about teaching and learning, and make them conscious and explicit make them conscious and explicit for ourselves so that we can for ourselves so that we can evaluate whether or not they are evaluate whether or not they are helpful in meeting our helpful in meeting our goals/living our valuesgoals/living our values

Your Learning Metaphor

Think for a moment about what Think for a moment about what image or metaphor you use when image or metaphor you use when you think about learning (Start you think about learning (Start with your own learning)with your own learning)

Draw a picture or diagram to try Draw a picture or diagram to try to capture the essence of your to capture the essence of your metaphor for learningmetaphor for learning

Your Teaching Metaphor

Now repeat the process but for your Now repeat the process but for your metaphor for teachingmetaphor for teaching

DonDon’’t represent what you think I t represent what you think I want to hear, or an orthodox middle want to hear, or an orthodox middle years perspective, represent what years perspective, represent what you really believe about teachingyou really believe about teaching

Draw a picture or diagram to Draw a picture or diagram to represent your teaching metaphorrepresent your teaching metaphor

Sharing your metaphors

Share your learning and teaching Share your learning and teaching metaphors with the person next to metaphors with the person next to youyou

Make sure you Make sure you reallyreally understand understand both metaphors of the person next both metaphors of the person next to you - ask questions for to you - ask questions for clarificationclarification

Coherence and Consistency

Make a judgement about whether Make a judgement about whether the learning and teaching the learning and teaching metaphors of the person next to metaphors of the person next to you hang together - do the you hang together - do the assumptions about learning play assumptions about learning play out in the assumptions about out in the assumptions about teaching?teaching?

Why or why not?Why or why not?

Classroom Implications

Return to looking at your own Return to looking at your own learning and teaching metaphorslearning and teaching metaphors

What changes would be required to What changes would be required to the way we currently the way we currently ‘‘do schooldo school’’ - - both at the classroom level and both at the classroom level and more broadly - in order to allow more broadly - in order to allow you to more fully teach in you to more fully teach in accordance with your metaphors? accordance with your metaphors? (specify the level of schooling (specify the level of schooling youyou’’re imagining - maybe a school re imagining - maybe a school you went to or that your kids go you went to or that your kids go to)to)

Working or Learning?

Alfie Kohn has written about how Alfie Kohn has written about how ‘work’ is the wrong metaphor for ‘work’ is the wrong metaphor for school – class work, home work and school – class work, home work and so on – and we should talk about so on – and we should talk about learninglearning

Are his arguments plausible? Does Are his arguments plausible? Does this make sense to you?this make sense to you?

How might this change of metaphors How might this change of metaphors what you do in the classroom?what you do in the classroom?

Other harmful or unhelpful metaphors

Alfie Kohn suggests that the Alfie Kohn suggests that the ‘‘workwork’’ metaphor is unhelpful for metaphor is unhelpful for schoolsschools

Can you think of other metaphors Can you think of other metaphors that impact on teaching as a that impact on teaching as a profession that are unhelpful?profession that are unhelpful?

Metaphors we teach by

The notion of metaphors and of The notion of metaphors and of exploring our metaphors (and exploring our metaphors (and being aware of the metaphors used being aware of the metaphors used by others) is valuable to by others) is valuable to professional teachers as a tool professional teachers as a tool for exploring some of the hidden for exploring some of the hidden assumptions that can help or assumptions that can help or hinder learninghinder learning