THINK
Cognitive Evaluation and Communication
Maturity
Maturity as a process
Maturity does not descend like a mantle of grace when one reaches a certain age. Rather it results from a continuing process (another general semantics formulation) throughout a person’s life. Remarkably, some individuals seem to proceed in this process in spite of all apparent road blocks. Others appear to get hung up somewhere along the way.
A baby discovers that a little crying will bring food, love, and a dry bottom. This mind set and behavior can readily be accepted with a baby. However, when we view some of these demanding traits in a thirty year old we find them inappropriate.
Mapping our progress
In Cognitive Evaluation and Communication we discuss map making. All individuals make maps of what they perceive as “out there.” Our maps and reality may approach each other, but they never do quite meet. When our maps diverge substantially from the real world we behave in strange and “immature” ways.
Introducing the map making concept throughout the K-12 experience encourages the student to evaluate their maps. Hopefully this experience will narrow the gap between the map which they create of themselves and reality.
How we handle maps, labels, assumptions, perceptions, etc. all affect us upon our road toward maturity. Introducing these concepts to K-12 students provides them with tools, tools we seldom address anywhere during these formative years.
What can I, as a teacher, do?
To paraphrase a parable, “When I was a child I thought as a child, spoke as a child and behaved as a child. When I grew up, I hung on to my childish ways because no one taught me how to change.” Don’t permit your students to say that about their teachers. Make use of the tools afforded you in Cognitive Evaluation and Communication.
Maturity does not descend like a mantle of grace when one reaches a certain age. Rather it results from a continuing process (another general semantics formulation) throughout a person’s life. Remarkably, some individuals seem to proceed in this process in spite of all apparent road blocks. Others appear to get hung up somewhere along the way.
A baby discovers that a little crying will bring food, love, and a dry bottom. This mind set and behavior can readily be accepted with a baby. However, when we view some of these demanding traits in a thirty year old we find them inappropriate.
Mapping our progress
In Cognitive Evaluation and Communication we discuss map making. All individuals make maps of what they perceive as “out there.” Our maps and reality may approach each other, but they never do quite meet. When our maps diverge substantially from the real world we behave in strange and “immature” ways.
Introducing the map making concept throughout the K-
How we handle maps, labels, assumptions, perceptions, etc. all affect us upon our road toward maturity. Introducing these concepts to K-
What can I, as a teacher, do?
To paraphrase a parable, “When I was a child I thought as a child, spoke as a child and behaved as a child. When I grew up, I hung on to my childish ways because no one taught me how to change.” Don’t permit your students to say that about their teachers. Make use of the tools afforded you in Cognitive Evaluation and Communication.
© 2008
