Apologies for the delay - trying to play catch up with a number of events, and doing that today as the hot weather continues...One of the ideas that I shared at my keynote presentation at TMGeogIcons is something that I've shared a few times before, but I have now developed the idea a little further, and it seemed to go down well with those who attended.
People often ask what the collective name for a group of geographers might be.
I've asked quite a few people, but have come up with the idea that a suitable word is a:
confluence
The idea here is that we geographers are stronger when we meet and flow together for a while, perhaps working on a project, or in a department. When we meet, we are collectively stronger, and we may flow together for a short time or for longer. We all bring something to the relationship.
Coincidentally - I also talked about the idea of serendipity in curriculum planning, and Eleanor Rawling's idea that it is a companion to rational thinking. The merging of waters, and the nature of flow connects with this idea.
A few more extensions of the analogy would be:
- sometimes we find ourselves at a low ebb, and need the help of others to regain our strength
- we vary in our energy through the year - there is a regime to our working year
- sometimes things seem like they are going very well, but we come up against some sort of barrier, but we find a way around it
- the thalweg is the line of fastest flow, and sometimes we get into a groove, and go with the flow
Sometimes we experience laminar flow: everything goes smoothly. When someone else joins our department, it can sometimes create turbulence for a while, but eventually we flow together and benefit from the presence of each other in collaborating and delegating...
Can you think of other analogies, or alternative phrases for a group of geography teachers?
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