Which is the True North?

According to Google, True North means that it is the north according to the earth’s axis, not magnetic north. And the reason why it is proclaimed that it is “true” is because it cancelled out what we normally knew as the truth–magnetic north.

The reason why I started this journal with that is because of the nagging feeling that we need to re-frame how we view correctness and rightness in assessments. Sure, there are certain facts like how the earth is NOT flat, that we cannot contest, but other statements and opinions that we teach can in fact be countered by other logical thinkers, and in this case these are our students.

Most students can be encouraged to think critically, and when they do, teachers seem to regret it because their lectures are being interrupted with questions that they do not really know how to answer, sometimes, these are tough questions that they just refuse to answer. I think that is what needs re-framing.

Our curriculum and classrooms set-up has been structured in a way that as the teacher, we are always the true north, nobody can say otherwise. We give out the lessons, the facts, the opinions, and our students are just supposed to absorb this without second-guessing or developing opinions of their own.

However, to become an effective teacher, we must be able to teach students to think critically and self-regulate, self-evaluate and process information, not just parrot it for exams. In order to do this, we must also craft assessments that would measure this and communicate this shift to our students as well.

Instead of mere exams that are identification or multiple choice, we can make it into short essays that makes them defend their answers, or take it up a notch, and create live debates and ask students to defend both sides against each other. These are fun, interactive ways that they can learn by themselves and through each other.

When all is said and done, students can go an assess themselves against a rubric. Have I done well? What can I improve with myself? Students can also evaluate their classmates in hopes of emulating the positive and learning from the mistakes of others. Peer pressure aside, this could be a win-win situation, and the feedback although mostly benefits the students, also benefits the teacher. You as the educator can sit back, observe, take notes, and watch learning unfold.

If this is the case, then where is our true north?

The answer is simple. True North depends on who’s looking.