The very idea of "maturity" refers to a certain stability. When a tree is mature, it contributes to the balance of its environment. This can be said of anything that can be described as mature: individuals, companies, societies. Maturity is also a qualifier associated with a possible relationship or not; if something is ripe, it's time to act, otherwise the opportunity passes. When a fruit, vegetable or anything becomes mature, it usually lets you know. If it's not, wait and see.
Individual maturity can be physical, intellectual or relational. There are many different ways to bring about maturity, but it seems that overprotection is not one of them. Teachers work mainly with immature people. How does this influence their practices and pedagogy? The differences between pedagogies aimed at children, teenagers, adults, beginners or professionals give us the answers, but in all cases maturation takes time, patience and perseverance. Pulling on the leaves of a tree doesn't make it grow any faster, and there are limits to what we can ask of students; rushing is counterproductive.
The maturity of companies and societies is of a different nature. Some companies and institutions clearly appear more mature than others, even if they are still growing; integrating education into their operations has a lot to do with their robustness and sustainability.
It's only in retrospect that we can recognize that we've matured, when we can compare the quality of previous and current responses. In principle, we never make the same mistakes again. Confidence in situations that once seemed difficult but are now mastered is a good indicator of maturity. When you know how to learn and keep on learning, you have a good tool for reaching maturity and staying there.
Denys Lamontagne - [email protected]
Illustration: racorn - DepositPhotos
