Concrete Experience: “what I did” section

I am not a very giving person unless I feel it very deeply. I was rejected by other children and that foreshadowed later behavior problems (Thompson, 2018). Yet, in the recent group project, when a peer joined on the last day with apologies, I did not ask or say anything but welcomed her and we shared the project done by us with her freely. She got it without doing a day’s work.

Reflective Observations: “what I wonder” section

How have I become the kind of person I am today, (Thompson, 2018)?

This is because, in a STEM course, my Achilles heel when I had no clue what to do for the group project, a peer who was a master carried it on his shoulders giving the rest of us the space to do what we can to our best. That was a game-changer for me as he said, “you are doing the best you can and I am doing the best I can”. I wonder how anyone could be so giving!

Abstract Conceptualization: “what I learned”/”so what” section

This personality development derived from the interaction of the social influence of the peer and changed me (Thompson, 2018). I am no longer pushing for things to myself and rejecting others. I learned that we can carry our peers on our shoulders and that is no big deal. This was a transformative learning experience for me that created a new schema(McLeod, 2017).

Application: “now what” section

I want to try it in multiple situations. I see I can be a giver to my subordinates or peers but not to the boss. I can give easily in a course but difficult to do that in an office. The next step is to observe when I give and when I shrink and explore…why?

About the author

Monica Kochar started her career as a Maths teacher in 1993. She has years of experience as a Maths Curriculum Designer with leading education platforms. This write-up has been reproduced from ' Humane Maths ' with the Author's consent. Any views expressed are personal.