The Power of Context, East Meets West

Assignment: Choose one of Gladwell's 3 Rules of epidemics, and blog about how it impacts your educational practice.

According to Gladwell:

"The Power of Context says that human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem."

As I think about this in terms of my experiences in education and working in schools I keep finding myself thinking thinking about the Feng Shui consultant who visited the school where I used to work. Although it may sound hokey and strange, she brought up many interesting points.

If you are not familiar with Feng Shui, it is a Chinese philosophy that governs the placement and arrangement of objects to produce a sort of harmony. Quit rolling your eyes and stick with me...

One of the most striking points the Feng Shui consultant raised was the lighting in schools. Like most schools, the lights were 3 ft. long fluorescent tubes, and they were just about everywhere. She spoke about how these lights can really affect some children. (The lights can produce a subtle, subliminal flicker or buzz or both, I can't remember the particulars.)

My colleague Mrs. C., the behavior specialist, was eager to test out alternative light bulbs in her office. Interestingly, a student who spent a lot of time in her office actually noticed a change in the room. I know his exact quote was priceless, but he said something to the effect of "You finally fixed that light. It was so annoying. It's about time!" WOW! Talk about being sensitive to your environment!

Since then I have been very mindful of how small changes can make a difference within the learning environment. Everything from a school's architecture (this particular school had a long, straight hallway that was simply perfect for running), the color of the walls, the placement of the furniture, the windows, the lights, the ambient temperature, different smells, you name it; can all have some sort of effect on students.

Some of these factors are easier to adjust or change than others. You can't change the location of a building or the exposure of your windows (if you have windows at all). However, you can change many smaller things. In this particular case teachers and staff rearranged furniture, added area rugs painted walls and busted through clutter. (I'm sure there were other changes that I'm unaware of, or simply can't remember.)

All in all, I noticed many positive changes and had my eyes opened to a new way of thinking. The joining of two seemingly unrelated spheres: the "Western" classroom and an Eastern philosophy, helped to create a different learning environment. That is my story about observing "The Power of Context" in action. What's yours?