Other Education: The Journal of Educational Alternatives ISSN 2049-2162 Volume 8 (2019), Issue 1 · pp 75-91 OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS Towards an Authentic Classroom Environment with a Teacher Diary Study Based on the I Ching, the Dao De Ching and the Zhuangzi David McLachlan Jeffrey Sichuan University – Pittsburgh Institute, Chengdu Abstract fullness of emptiness (to open the space for This report shares the experience of a creativity to flourish), (5) the value of teacher undertaking an introspective compassion, frugality and humility (which teacher diary study to embrace the wisdom nurture gentleness), (6) the usefulness of of the I Ching (also known as “The Book of emotional detachments (for enhancing Changes”). This was in order to infuse the adaptability to unforeseen situations), (7) classroom with Daoism for an authentic the tangibility of leadership by example environment. The diary’s insights emerged (engendering trust), and (8) the wisdom of through five methodological processes: (1) simplicity (avoiding excessive Daily introspections with the I Ching, the complications). Dao De Ching and the Zhuangzi (thereby inspiring the prompts for the diary Introduction writing), (2) meditation (to calm the mind), Teacher diary studies are written self- (3) participant-observation (supporting reflections of experiences in the classroom. spontaneous flexibility in the classroom), They are examined for recurring thought (4) the Microsoft Tools Program (which patterns that facilitate an introspective served to match thought patterns in diary awareness. The purpose is to lead to deeper entries), and (5) yin and yang, wuwei, ziran insights about practice, which can then and qi (which helped embrace Daoist contribute to personal-professional principles). These processes led to the development. discovery of eight Daoist-inspired They encourage the discovery and principles for what is considered here as implementation of novel ways of an optimal classroom atmosphere: (1) The approaching classroom instruction. functionality of blending yang-directness Linguists have recognized benefits of diary and yin-indirectness (balancing instruction studies for their introspective contributions with inspiration), (2) the virtue of choosing in a wide variety of educational settings authenticity over authoritarianism (to (Bailey, 1990; Bell, 1993; Henderson, inspire humility), (3) the significance of Morris & Fitz-Gibbon, 1987; Howell- selflessness (encouraging spontaneity over Richardson & Parkinson, 1988; Jarvis, impulsiveness), (4) the recognition of the 75 Authentic Classroom Environment: I Ching, the Dao De Ching and the Zhuangzi 1992; Nunan, 1992; Richards & Lockhart, learning as process and of what is learnt, 1996). between the teacher and the students. The current diary study under I have found undertaking diary studies consideration pursued enhancement of an based on Chinese philosophy to be valuable authentic classroom atmosphere. Authentic in formulating novel approaches to is meant here as an atmosphere which education, especially in my earlier diary promotes student-centeredness, active studies. In a diary study based on The Art learning and where the teacher is an of War (Jeffrey 2010) ways were found that encouraging facilitator. The opposite of this contributed to longer-term win-win is considered to be an undesirable strategic outcomes in an educational authoritarian classroom atmosphere where setting. In another diary study that applied the teacher is the center of attention and the 36 Stratagems (Jeffrey 2013) short- dictates the course content whilst students term tactical classroom situations to ensure are merely passive recipients. mutually successful outcomes to challenges The diary study was inspired by the were discovered. Thereafter, a broad following two well-known Daoist-inspired holistic awareness was embraced by myself sayings: (1) I hear, I forget. I see, I as a teacher, through a diary study applying remember. I do, I understand, and (2) Give the Dao De Ching (Jeffrey 2015). This people fish and you feed them for a day, but helped to synchronize classroom relations teach people how to fish and you feed them with the ever-present yet ineffable rhythms for a lifetime. Thus, in authentic of the Dao. Following that, in another diary classrooms, intelligence and wisdom as study based on the other Daoist classic well as processes and outcomes are all known as the Zhuangzi (Jeffrey 2019), equally treasured. The teacher’s role is more dimensions were added to the more of a “guide on the side” rather than a appreciation of Daoism’s contribution to a “sage on the stage.” harmonious classroom atmosphere. In an ideal authentic classroom there In a further attempt to find a means of would be a mutual acceptance on the part applying Daoist philosophy to educational of teacher and students that beyond the practice, the current diary study under tangible human constructs of personal discussion went another thousand years identity, rules and regulations, course back in history from the Dao De Ching and outlines, deadlines, examinations and the Zhuangzi to embrace the foundation of grades lie the equally important intangible Chinese philosophy which is the I Ching. dimensions of nurturing, facilitating and To bring it into the present in ways inspiring. Through becoming authentically appreciable to modern sensibilities it was compassionate and humble in the infused with Daoism. The combinations classroom, a shared teacher-student state of were melded to that of my experiences as awareness helps to transcend fears based on an educator in order to find contributions to “winners” and “losers.” This, in turn, developing what I am calling here encourages more mutual trust. The point of authenticity, and to reduce authoritarianism the attitude is to open the way to a greater in the classroom. sense of a shared intrinsic enjoyment of This diary study took place from December 2017 to December 2018 at the 76 David McLachlan Jeffrey Sichuan University—Pittsburgh Institute the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). (SCUPI), Chengdu, People’s Republic of Although it was initially based on China. SCUPI was established in 2013 divination, its present form is essentially a through collaboration between Sichuan book of wisdom, guiding its practitioners to University in China and Pittsburgh look inwardly and to intuitively University in the US to provide Chinese contemplate ways of acting judiciously in engineering students the opportunity of an the face of unpredictable and fluctuating American-style education in China with situations. English as the medium of instruction. The In the foreword to Wilhelm’s (1950) students featuring in the study were translation of the I Ching, the renowned freshmen/women and sophomores. My role psychoanalyst Jung, who introduced the was as a lecturer teaching English for concepts of archetypes (patterns that are Academic Purposes and a consultant in the universally shared in the collective Writing Center assisting them with their unconscious) and synchronicity (non- writing skills. causal yet meaningful coincidences), wrote: The I Ching The I Ching is the most ancient of China’s The Chinese mind, as I see it at historical texts, and is potentially the work in the I Ching, seems to be world’s oldest book. It was originally used exclusively preoccupied with the as a divination method based on the chance aspect of events. What we configurations of cracks on tortoise shells call coincidence seems to be the that have over thousands of years evolved chief concern of this peculiar into a contemplative means of guidance to mind, and what we worship as decision making throughout the world causality passes almost today. unnoticed....Synchronicity takes Its oracle is comprised of 64 the coincidence of events in space hexagrams. These consist of six-lined and time as meaning something broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines. more than mere chance, namely, a There is a situational description for each peculiar interdependence of hexagram in the text that determines the objective events among outcomes of enquiries based on its yin and themselves as well as with the yang configurations. Its introduction to the subjective (psychic) state of the West was pioneered by Legge (1882), observer or observers. followed by McClatchie (1876), Blofeld (1965), Wilhelm (1950) and Shaughnessy Jung (Wilhelm, 1950) considered the 64 (1996), among several others. hexagrams of the I Ching were similar to his According to Ritsema and Sabbadini notion of the universally shared archetypes (2005), the origins of the I Ching can be of situations existing within the collective traced back to the Zhou dynasty (1122 – unconscious; these lying beyond an 256 BC) when it was known as the Zhou Yi individual’s conscious awareness. It is (meaning “Changes of the Zhou”), and then towards these that the I Ching guides its later became canonized as a classic during practitioner for deeper situational insights. 77 Authentic Classroom Environment: I Ching, the Dao De Ching and the Zhuangzi Because of the synchronicity of non-causal their positions from yin to yang and yang to yet meaningful events with the infusion of yin respectively for the formation of a the archetypes of the collective unconscious second hexagram). The first hexagram into conscious awareness, the I Ching provides more of a specific reflection while transcends the realm of chance coincidences. the second hexagram (if there is one, It thus can be considered to serve as a guide depending on if there are any changing