Silence: so important, so underestimated…

The brain: it is the only learning tool that we can never forget for our classes. Students or Educators, we can forget our homework, laptop, pencil or books. But there is no way we can forget our brain. But having our brain in classes does not mean learning or a strong performance will happen. Our brains are just not that simple. We should desire to have what we teach and learn not just stay in our brains for a moment, but also for the future like how to ride a bicycle. But what and how do we ever truly remember? Our brain never stops working, even in our sleep. But it needs time to catch up, to think and ponder. It does seem simple, but it is not at all! Have you ever wondered how much information our brain receives each day, whether in class, at work, at lunch, on the playing fields, or via social media? Our brains are constantly receiving, filtering, and pruning away information, making choices. Our brain needs calm once in a while but what do we need to calm our brains? The only thing we need is John Cage’s 4’33’’ symphony each day, from which new ideas can emerge, opportunities can be evaluated, or momentary peace can be sought. It is one that we should play more often in our lives as teachers and students. Our brains deserve this and research shows that this symphony is good for us. We need time to reflect on what we have learned, to assess the goals we established for ourselves and our progress, what our learning strengths or weaknesses might be. Let’s try to get this symphony part of our day by day life. Silence...

Thanks to John Cage