But that’s the problem. The Education Machine pursues simplicity through complexity. They add stuff to our day—assessments, consultants, programs, curriculum, whatever. They pile more on to make things “easy,” “simple,” and “streamlined.” What they fail to realize is that simplicity is not about adding, but about removing. Taking away. Reduction. Subtraction.
Simplicity is a worthwhile goal. It can clarify our objectives and liberate our actions. But don’t wait for it to come from The Machine. Because it won’t. It can’t. The teaching profession would be even more wonderful if we were given the time and space to pare down our classroom experience to the essentials.
But that’s not the way The Machine does things.
So it’s up to you, Zen Teacher, to pursue simplicity. Through simplicity.
Start by taking stuff away.
Take enough away that you finally get down to The Good Stuff.
Then give that Good Stuff to your students. TZT