Masters' Students--Mary, Caitlyn, and Gillian--Discuss their Program

THE COHORT

The experiences of the Imaginative Education cohort are as varied as the cohort itself. The current group is composed of elementary, high school, adult, nurse, and alternate program educators. Gillian, quoted above, though disappointed when she discovered this would not be a continuation of a Fine Arts based program, soon recognized that the cognitive tools of the imagination enhanced every curricular area, including the arts.  For myself, I literally stopped breathing as I first read about Imaginative Education. There was so much that resonated with what I already brought to teaching, but it was coherent and repeatable in ways I had been unable to achieve on my own.  Mary Mulleady was attracted to Imaginative Education because “it grounds teaching in a solid theoretical framework and it truly just makes good sense.”  Mary writes, “IE provides a comprehensive understanding about children’s thinking; understanding how children think helps me to better understand how to teach.” She feels that this Master's program truly strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students: “At its core, IE is all about the children we teach."    

OUR TEACHERS

Being taught by Kieran Egan, introduced to philosophy with Sean Blenkinsop, and connecting practice and theory in a Vygotskian framework with Natalia Gajdamaschko, have been highlights.  Mary appreciates the amount of thought and care put into designing the IE program of study.  She is particularly impressed with how “each course seamlessly unfolds into the next, providing new discoveries and understandings about how to mediate the human experience for students."   There have been new opportunities to explore a variety of ways to present the work and learning, including storytelling, poetry, power point, research papers, drama, and more. Gillian enjoys “the variety of teaching styles we have been exposed to though our course work, and the variety of responses to these issues as pursued by fellow students.” The process has been transformative.

 HUMOUR, INTENSITY AND POSSIBILITY

The cohort shares an energetic sense of humour, born of the intensity and seriousness everyone brings to the program. For some, it has renewed their enthusiasm for teaching and deepened their awareness of the teacher's importance in "mediating the understanding" of their students - and confirmed their beliefs in the educational potential of all children and youth.  Mary adds that “IE has taken me on a fantastic journey of discovery and most definitely heightened my awareness of the limitless possibilities of the imagination and its pivotal role in the learning process.”

For others, the focus has been learning to deconstruct the potentially toxic side of "potential" and progressivist education. This type of exploration and "trying on" of multiple perspectives is encouraged in all the Imaginative Education (IE) classes. “One of the biggest highlights is becoming familiar with educational theories and as a result better understanding the perspective from which I teach,” says Gillian.  Imaginative engagement and ways of understanding using cognitive tools allow for each person’s expertise but push us to consider education from a shifted perspective – one that is proving itself in our classrooms, and alternate teaching settings, to be emotionally engaging, intellectually compelling, and effective.

WORKING TOGETHER

“To have the opportunity to interact at length … is something that does not easily occur in the work place. This has led me to reaffirm the value of interconnectedness as it relates to development of self and the teaching profession.  I have really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss issues with colleagues and educational specialists, to clarify and question anything and everything,” says Gillian. As well, the annual IERG conference provides a forum to meet with imaginative educators from all over the world. A worldwide shift from the idea of imagination as creativity, to imagination as an affective-intellectual tool for perfinking (perceiving, feeling, thinking all at the same time!).

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Imaginative Education is the backbone of this Master’s program, but it is not the only aspect of education under consideration. The kind of transformation in one’s teaching and philosophy that a graduate student can expect requires understanding of a variety of educational issues in order to implement and sustain change. “Yes, there is a fear that when returning to the classroom without group support, things may return to the norm,” states Gillian, but time has been spent learning about what is required to sustain change.

 Mary believes that IE is a perfect fit for those "who truly want to make a positive difference in the lives of their students.”  She unabashedly states, “I have been given a gift from IE; the gift of purpose." With purpose, comes the need for change, and the challenge of developing the courage and supports to be able to change how you think about education, and how you teach.