Carl Honore`is a leader in the worldwide 'slow movement', encouraging a lifestyle that avoids the rush and constant chaos of today's western world. His
Ted Talk given a few years ago discusses his thoughts on how our society has sped up over the past decade, "We used to dial; now we speed dial. We used to read; now we speed read. We used to walk; now we speed walk. And of course, we used to date and now we speed date.”
Our life at Proctor can fall into this same trap. For our faculty and students, five class blocks sandwich a school wide assembly and lunch followed immediately by two hours of afternoon activities before dinner, extra help sessions and study hall. Occasionally days can become so filled with our academic and extra curricular activities that we do not sit down for a minute all day.
Proctor's Admissions view book leads with the phrase, "Which path will you choose?" The challenge for students in this question is not if they will find a path that suits them, but rather, will they be able to fit in every academic course (of the 139 offered), art elective (39 offerings), afternoon activity (39 offerings), off-campus program (5 from which to choose) and extra curricular program they want to explore. One would assume that students must attack these offerings with considerable vigor, checking off their to-do lists and moving onto the next experience, but is that the right approach to a Proctor education? Or is it better to sample experiences and then pursue a passion?
While many associate speed with productivity, and I know I often fall into this mindset, Honore` argues our society has gone too far, "The problem is the cultural taboo we have erected against slowing down. Slow is a dirty word in our culture, it is a byword for lazy, slacker...and is even synonymous with being stupid." While we all know that slow is not always good, the revolutionary idea of the slow movement is that there is a good slow.
Taking the time to eat a meal with your family or friends, looking at a problem from all angles before acting, or simply taking time to yourself for reflection are beneficial. Honore` notes, "The Nordic countries are showing it is possible to have a great economy without being a workaholic. These are some of the most productive economies in the world who work hours that many Americans weep with with envy." So how does this happen? How can we be 'productive' in our daily lives at our boarding school without becoming burned out?
Honore` acknowledges that many of the letters he receives in response to his book are from adolescents on the edge of burnout, pleading with their parents to back off on their daily schedules. In fact, one of the most competitive elementary schools in Scotland has banned homework, resulting in higher test scores because students are in a healthier mental state from a slower pace of life.
Similarly, Harvard sends out letters to freshmen and their parents noting that students will get more out of Harvard if they slow down and put on the brakes. Do less, but give more intentional time to fewer pursuits, and savor those experiences.
We must ask ourselves whether we have this balance at Proctor. Do we provide opportunities for students to slow down, truly enjoy the experiences they are exposed to at Proctor? Or is our schedule so busy that it impacts our students' (and faculty's) health and productivity? Moments are scheduled into our days to reflect, but could we be more intentional with providing time for reflection in our classes and make it a goal to not only teach students how to slow down and reflect from an academic point of view, but from a holistic perspective?
Self-reflection is perhaps the greatest asset of any community and we hope to remain intentional about our time for self-reflection throughout the year.
