ABC of inquiry – ATTITUDE
ABC of inquiry – ATTITUDE: Khalil Gibran believes that “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.” Teachers and our schooling experiences can shape our learners attitudes; we have a great responsibility for care when students walk though our doors and into our lives.
ATTITUDE: You giving me ‘tude?
An attitude is a way of thinking or feeling about something. Any attitude we hold will be informed by our experiences, values and contexts, so too will the learners in your class be influenced by the same constructs.
Some attitudes are socially valued and encouraged, while some are devalued and seen as problematic. What is problematic or valued is also determined by constructs and contexts. Gender is a construct that has seen some attitudes more valued in one learner, than in a learner who holds a different identity claim.
Opportunities for learners to examine and reflect on these constructs is critical for them to fully understand what ways of thinking or feeling might best serve them in different situations.
The way attitudes are named is cultural and the naming holds expectations that can be slippery and deeply hidden.
Some devalued attitudes are those that have driven important revolutions, encouraged innovative and adaptive thinking, while some valued attitudes have acted as barriers and restraints on individuals and populations. Understanding and analyzing ‘attitudes’ and how they serve to help or hinder us, is a critical skill a learner needs, so they can make more informed choices about who and how they want to be in the world in different places and times.
Supporting learners develop their own ‘naming’ of the thinking patterns, feelings or approaches to particular situations is important, as it supports the construction of an identity that is personally important and meaningful to the learner.
