I am a far from religious person, but have always felt a sense of connection with the philosophy that comes with Zen and Karma and the like.
I was reading an article on educational leadership this week (www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/apr13/vol70/num07/Be_a_Cage-Buster.aspx) and it mentioned this idea of shoshin - a Zen Buddhist phrase that means 'beginner's mind'. It refers to approaching a subject with an attitude of openness, eagerness, creativity and lack of preconceptions.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few"
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It was a timely stumble over the internet, as it is a good fit for my intentions as to how I approach teaching. So these are my intentions for both my teaching practice, and this blog: to approach teaching science and biology with an openness towards creativity, eagerness and no preconceptions, regardless of how much of an expert I become - and given I am yet to reach the end of my second year of teaching, and pass the full-registration milestone - that seems like a long way away!
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