The Classroom is a Garden

The Classroom is a Garden. The archway is the door and all of the flowers (and sometimes weeds) are the students. I am the gardener, caring for each and every flower. They are nurtured by me, the rain, the soil, etc. When we treat our classrooms as a garden it becomes more than just education, it becomes a period of growth, of success and failures, trial and errors. 

My take on education is that it should be student-centered. The responsibilities of the teachers, parents, students and society vary greatly but they should be focused on the student. The students are the flowers, the parents are the soil, society is the climate and the teacher is the gardener. 

The parents are the soil from which the students get their nutrients or support. The parent is responsible for supporting the student and making sure that he/she is operating at their full capacity outside of school. If student's do not get support at home, then they often do not do well within the classroom. The students do not have the background knowledge or experience to help them in class.

The students are the flowers. They are constantly growing, changing, blooming, failing, etc. The students are responsible for keeping on track with their success. They are responsible for following instruction, doing homework, etc. If they do not keep up with their responsibilities, then the teacher can not help them grow and learn. 

The teachers are the gardeners. We prune, pluck, support, plant, etc. We foster learning in such a way that helps the students to grow and to operate at their full capacity. We aid students in their learning and guide them through their education in order for them to become successful. 

And finally, society is the climate. Society can have a positive/negative influence on education and the students. If it rains, the plants grow, and if it doesn't the plants whither. It is important for society to have a positive influence on education (ie. rain) in order for students to become the best they can be. However, if it has a negative influence on education (ie. not raining), the students are not going to do well. 

All of these factors influence the student, that is why I believe education should be student-centered. Just like how some flowers have different requirements when it comes to growth, students also have different learning styles and requirements to succeed. This is why teachers should be modifying instruction in order to accommodate all of his or her flowers. Teaching is like carefully tending a garden because we want our flowers and plants to grow. Therefore, we are going to give them the best possible treatment. The same goes for students. We want them to grow and succeed so as teachers, we need to give them the best possible treatment and we need to work with the students' needs. 

By creating relevant curriculum that is geared to the students, by giving them a choice, and by focusing on them, we are able to create the best possible individuals where each student feels successful in his or her own right.