An article in Chief Learning Officer talks about the value of being flexible in a learning environment.  Silly Putty is used as an example of a substance that displays the qualities vital to the learning process.  Click here to read the full article for yourself.  As I reflect on the learning process, it occurs to me that flexiblity is important but so is plain flexing.  Sometimes in education or training circumstances it is necessary to remain rigid and unmoving. 

There are appropriate times to be fluid and stretchy, for example, in the delivery mode.  Learners may need to recieve the material in a variety of ways.  It is necessary that the educator be flexible enough to accomodate those variety of learning styles.  However, the WHAT of the delivery may not be a flexible point at all.  Educators need also to be able to recognize what they must remain firm on. 

As with any physical workout, the mental workout of learning a new skill or process will require some stretching and then some flexing.  The stretching allows the muscles to prepare for the development that is inherent in the flexing to follow.  Educators demonstrating the stretching through the use of a variety of methods and approaches to the classroom while the toning and building of change is based on remaining firm.