Fueki (The Immutable) and Ryuko (The Evolving)
I am Yugo, an elementary school teacher and father of two.
The hot days continue. In the area where I live, we have had temperatures over 30°C day after day. When it gets like this, it becomes difficult to figure out how to keep the children occupied during summer vacation. I worry about heatstroke if they play outside all day when it's over 30°C... Water play might be okay... But they would get bored of that every day... So, something my family has been making use of lately is the public library.
A place that is cool and satisfies intellectual curiosity...
The public library near my house is very large and has a great collection of children's books. Moreover, they hold regular story-telling sessions for children, and there is a room that feels like a secret base, as well as a corner where you can read while relaxing... When my daughters choose the books they like, they head straight for the secret base corner. It is a small dome shape, and you have to take off your shoes to enter. There are relaxing chairs and hiding spots, and they read books to their hearts' content.
Should I read a book too...?
I like books too, so I look for one... But... there are no books that catch my interest. The reason is...
The books are old... It's not that they are 'dirty,' but there are many books published 10 or 20 years ago, and few books published recently.
Fueki (The Immutable) and Ryuko (The Evolving)
If you have ever taken a teacher employment exam, you have surely heard of 'Fueki' (the immutable) and 'Ryuko' (the evolving).
The books my daughters want to read are 'stories.' There are many masterpieces in 'stories' that have been passed down from the past to the present. If the story and setting are interesting, even old books are interesting! In fact, the series the children are currently into is the same series I liked when I was in elementary school. This is 'Fueki.' Therefore, for the children, a library where they can read classic masterpieces is a treasure trove.
The books I want to read are, for example, about investment, side hustles, self-improvement, or training. These are things that are heavily influenced by trends. Methods from 10 or 20 years ago often don't match the times... This is a field where that tends to happen. In that case, library books aren't enough. This is 'Ryuko.'
The children read classic masterpieces from the library, and I read the latest books on my Kindle...
It's not that either 'Fueki' or 'Ryuko' is better. Things that don't change over time... Things that change with the times...
Both are important. The important thing is to discern what is most important to you. And then, to use them appropriately.
Both are important. The important thing is to discern what is most important to you. And then, to use them appropriately.
Fueki and Ryuko in Classroom Management
Recently, there is the issue of how to realize the 'utilization of ICT.' Today, it has become standard for every student to have a device. Even from the perspective of research lessons, I think the pillar is often 'how to utilize ICT.' This is 'Ryuko.'
On the other hand, the essence of a lesson is that 'children participate lively and can think, "I did it!" "I understand!" "Learning is fun!"' This remains the same even as times change. This is 'Fueki.'
If you don't discern what is important for yourself and for the children, things will end up strange. If you chase after the 'Ryuko' of 'ICT utilization' and pursue that, you might end up thinking, 'Wait? Has the lesson become just about using ICT? Is this the direction we should be aiming for? Is using ICT really leading to the children feeling "I did it!" "I understand!" "Learning is fun!"?' or 'Actually, wouldn't it have been easier to understand if we used old-fashioned concrete objects instead of ICT?'
Thinking about it this way, it occurs to me that 'Fueki' might be the essence, and 'Ryuko' might be the means. Without losing sight of the essence, choose effective means suitable for the time and place. I think that kind of attitude is important.
