Introduction

There are works of art that entertain us, works that inspire us, and works that quietly accompany us throughout life. For me, John Lennon's Watching the Wheels (1980) belongs to the last category. I first appreciated the song as a declaration of personal contentment, but over the years it has become something much more profound: a philosophy that has helped me understand my own journey as an educator, curriculum designer, and student of literature.

When Lennon sings that he is "just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round," he is not celebrating inactivity. Rather, he challenges the modern assumption that one's worth depends upon perpetual movement, productivity, and public recognition. His words invite a different understanding of success, one rooted in reflection, observation, and purposeful living.

Looking back, I realize that choosing education as my profession and literature as my intellectual home gradually transformed my understanding of what it means to live a meaningful life. The classroom became more than a workplace; it became a place where ideas, people, and stories intersect. Literature became more than artistic expression; it became a way of understanding humanity. Together, these experiences have taught me that watching the wheels is not a passive activity but an active commitment to thoughtful living.

Choosing Education: Learning to Observe Before Acting

When I decided to become an educator, I believed that teaching meant explaining knowledge effectively. Experience eventually taught me otherwise. Good teaching begins not with speaking but with observing. Every class became an opportunity to notice patterns: how learners approached uncertainty, how motivation fluctuated, how confidence developed, and how a carefully chosen question could reshape an entire discussion. Teaching slowly became less about transmitting information and more about understanding people.

This evolution closely resembles what Donald Schön (1983) describes as reflective practice. According to Schön, professionals do not simply apply techniques; they continually reflect both during action and after action, refining their judgment through experience. Reflection is therefore not an interruption of professional work but its very foundation. Lennon's image of quietly watching the wheels captures this reflective stance. Observation is not withdrawal. It is preparation for wiser action.

Literature and the Discovery of Human Complexity

While education taught me to observe learners, literature taught me to observe humanity. Every novel opened a new world of moral choices, emotional conflicts, and philosophical questions. Literary characters became companions in exploring courage, fear, ambition, love, and injustice. Rather than offering definitive answers, literature cultivated intellectual humility by revealing how complex human beings truly are.

This understanding resonates with Martha Nussbaum's (1997) defense of the humanities. Nussbaum argues that literature develops the imagination necessary for democratic citizenship because it enables readers to inhabit lives different from their own. Reading becomes an exercise in empathy. As I immersed myself in literature, I discovered that language education is fundamentally a humanistic endeavor. Teaching grammar and vocabulary matters, but these linguistic tools ultimately serve a greater purpose: enabling individuals to understand one another across cultures and experiences. Literature transformed my classrooms by reminding me that every learner carries a unique story deserving attention and respect.

The House of Reflection

Among the thinkers who have most influenced my literary perspective, Gaston Bachelard occupies a special place. In The Poetics of Space (1958), Bachelard proposes that physical spaces often become psychological spaces where memory, imagination, and identity are formed. Although Bachelard writes about houses, rooms, corners, and attics, his insight extends beyond architecture. Every educator gradually builds an inner house composed of experiences, conversations, books, successes, failures, and questions. My own intellectual home has been constructed through countless hours of reading, lesson planning, classroom dialogue, and reflective writing.

Within this metaphorical house, Lennon's wheels continue turning. They represent not external progress measured by promotions or titles but the quiet movement of thought itself. Education and literature have furnished this inner dwelling with curiosity rather than certainty.

Leisure as Intellectual Freedom

Modern society frequently equates value with productivity. Academic institutions often celebrate publications, meetings, projects, and measurable outcomes. Yet throughout my career I have increasingly found meaning in moments that appear unproductive from the outside: reading a novel slowly, reconsidering a lesson plan, reflecting after class, or simply thinking.

Josef Pieper (1998) calls this disposition leisure. Contrary to common usage, leisure is not idleness. It is the contemplative openness that allows human beings to perceive reality without immediately seeking to exploit it. Lennon's song embodies precisely this spirit. His decision to watch the wheels is an affirmation that contemplation possesses intrinsic value.

For educators, this lesson is particularly significant. Reflection should not be viewed as time taken away from teaching but as one of teaching's essential responsibilities. Without reflection, instruction risks becoming mechanical.

Humanizing Education

The educational philosophy that has gradually emerged throughout my career also finds resonance in Paulo Freire's (1970) understanding of education as a profoundly human activity. Freire rejected the notion that teachers merely deposit information into passive learners. Instead, authentic education develops through dialogue, critical reflection, and shared inquiry.

This perspective aligns remarkably well with my own understanding of language education. Learning a language is never simply about mastering grammatical structures. It is about entering new cultural worlds, questioning assumptions, and expanding one's capacity to communicate with others.

Watching the wheels therefore becomes an educational metaphor. Teachers and students move together through an ongoing dialogue in which both are transformed by the learning process.

A Different Definition of Success

The older I become, the more I recognize that my professional satisfaction has never depended primarily upon visible achievements. Certainly, curriculum projects, academic accomplishments, and professional responsibilities have been meaningful. Yet the deepest fulfillment has emerged elsewhere. It has appeared in discovering a novel that permanently altered my perspective. It has appeared in witnessing students suddenly understand a difficult concept. It has appeared in conversations that generated more questions than answers. It has appeared in moments of quiet reflection after a successful lesson.

These experiences resemble what Lennon's song quietly celebrates. Success is not always found in moving faster than everyone else. Sometimes it is found in paying closer attention. Watching the wheels is therefore neither resignation nor escape. It is an intentional way of inhabiting the world.

Conclusion

John Lennon's Watching the Wheels has become much more than a favorite song. It has become an intellectual companion that continually reminds me why I chose education and why literature remains central to my life.

Donald Schön explains why reflection is essential to professional growth. Martha Nussbaum demonstrates how literature cultivates empathy and democratic imagination. Gaston Bachelard reveals the intimate relationship between imagination and the spaces we inhabit. Josef Pieper restores contemplation to its rightful place within human flourishing. Paulo Freire reminds us that education is ultimately an act of dialogue and liberation.

Together, these thinkers illuminate what Lennon's song has quietly expressed all along. The wheels continue turning. The classroom continues evolving. Books continue opening new worlds. Learning continues reshaping identity. And perhaps the greatest lesson of all is that a meaningful life is not measured solely by how far we travel, but by how deeply we learn to observe the journey itself.

San José, Costa Rica

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Blog Post #589 

 

📚 References

Bachelard, G. (1958). The poetics of space (M. Jolas, Trans.). Beacon Press.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

Lennon, J. (1980). Watching the wheels [Song]. On Double Fantasy. Geffen Records.

Nussbaum, M. C. (1997). Cultivating humanity: A classical defense of reform in liberal education. Harvard University Press.

Pieper, J. (1998). Leisure: The basis of culture (New ed.). St. Augustine's Press. (Original work published 1948)

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.

 Referências Teóricas e Concetuais do Ensaio Reflexivo

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Introduction

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk “The Danger of a Single Story” warns against reductive narratives that represent individuals, communities, or cultures through one lens. According to Adichie (2009), single stories dehumanize by emphasizing difference and omitting the multiple stories that contribute to human complexity. Her talk has been widely interpreted in educational contexts to challenge stereotypes and broaden perspectives among learners and educators alike. In the context of English Language Teaching (ELT), understanding and resisting single stories can be a powerful catalyst for professional development (McKenney, 2016; MIDTESOL, 2016). For new teachers, embracing multiple narratives aids reflective practice, cultural responsiveness, and equitable pedagogies, core dimensions of sustained professional growth.

Theoretical Framework: Stories, Identity, and Teaching

At the heart of Adichie’s (2009) argument is the idea that stories shape cognition and identity. She observes that exposure to only one type of narrative can shape one’s worldview in incomplete and often stereotyping ways (Adichie, 2009). A singular narrative about a group, such as “African societies that are impoverished” or that “students from X culture are unmotivated”, becomes a limiting filter through which new teachers might interpret student behaviors and classroom dynamics. These reductive narratives, instead of promoting empathy and understanding, can reinforce biases and limit teachers’ professional judgment. As Adichie (2009) states, “The single story creates stereotypes… the problem is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.”

The narrative dimension of teaching aligns with research on teacher identity and professional learning. Professional learning is increasingly understood not just as skill acquisition but as identity formation (Karaman & Edling, 2021). Narratives, both students’ stories and teachers’ self-narratives, shape how teachers see themselves and others in the classroom. When teachers adopt a richer narrative lens, they develop professional flexibility that enables adaptive teaching and deeper understanding of learner backgrounds. Consequently, language instructors can then see their students from different angles avoiding labeling them in any way.

Critiquing the Single Story: Implications for Reflective Practice

One of the first steps in professional development is reflective practice, the systematic examination of one’s beliefs, assumptions, and teaching practices (Schon, 1983; as cited in professional development literature). Adichie’s framework helps beginner teachers recognize and question their assumptions. When new teachers interpret classroom events through a narrow, reductive lens, their capacity for critical reflection is limited. For example, a teacher might assume a student’s quietness equals disengagement; with a more nuanced “multiple stories” perspective, the teacher might explore cultural communication preferences, language confidence, or prior learning experiences.

Research in language education confirms that contextualized reflective practice can enhance teaching competencies. A study on EFL teachers found that self- and collaborative reflective practices improved pedagogical skills and professional confidence (Rozimela, Fatimah & Fudhla, 2025). By integrating multiple learner narratives into reflection, new teachers move beyond surface judgments toward deeper engagement with learners as individuals.

Cultural Responsiveness and Equity in ELT

The danger of single stories is most evident when considering cultural responsiveness. Culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2002) posits that educators must affirm and integrate students’ cultural references in all aspects of learning. A teacher who holds a single story about English language learners (ELLs), such as viewing them solely as “deficient” in English, may inadvertently lower expectations and misinterpret student behavior. Adichie’s perspective encourages teachers to seek out the full spectrum of student identities: linguistic histories, community practices, and cultural narratives.

Adichie’s critique parallels the work of critical literacy scholars who argue that diverse narratives in education challenge inequities and empower marginalized voices. Ehst and Hermann-Wilmarth (2014) emphasize “troubling the single story” through international literature and critical literacy, encouraging teachers and students to understand multiple worldviews rather than defaulting to dominant cultural narratives. By incorporating multiple stories into curriculum planning and classroom discourse, new teachers develop cultural competence, a key element of professional growth in diverse language classrooms.

Community, Collegial Learning, and Narrative Sharing

Professional development is more sustainable when it is social and contextualized. Wenger’s (1998) concept of communities of practice illustrates how professionals learn through shared participation. New teachers benefit from dialogic engagement with peers and mentors, sharing narratives about classroom challenges, successes, and learner needs. A community that values multiple narratives facilitates mutual learning, emotional support, and collective problem-solving.

Moreover, narrative sharing helps counteract isolation, a known risk factor for new teacher attrition. Stories from experienced teachers, inclusive of failures and growth, provide rich learning opportunities that go beyond technical skill transfer. When novice teachers share multiple classroom stories, they internalize the complexity of teaching practice and build professional resilience.

Teacher Cognition and Professional Identity Development

Teacher cognition research highlights the importance of beliefs and knowledge in teaching practice. Hilda Borko’s (n.d.) work on teacher learning underscores how teachers’ cognitive frameworks shape instructional decisions and PD outcomes. A teacher’s narrative lens is part of this cognitive framework. If teachers internalize single, oversimplified stories about learners or language learning, their instructional decisions may reflect personal bias rather than learner needs.

Lexie Grudnoff’s (n.d.) research on equity and professional learning further underscores that teacher education must foreground equity principles, preparing teachers to notice, interpret, and respond to diverse learning contexts. Adichie’s call to reject single stories aligns with this equity stance: teachers must recognize the heterogeneity of learners rather than imposing preconceived templates onto them.

Practical Strategies for New Teachers

To operationalize the ideas from Adichie’s talk into professional growth, new teachers can adopt several strategies:

1.	Critical Reflection Journals:	Encourage teachers to document classroom experiences, identify potential single stories they hold, and explore alternative narratives.
2.	Narrative Exchange Groups:	Facilitate structured dialogues among teachers where they share learner stories, cultural insights, and instructional dilemmas.
3.	Diverse Text Selection:	In ELT, include literature, media, and learning materials representing a wide range of cultures and voices to broaden teachers’ and learners’ perspectives.
4.	Mentorship with Narrative Coaching:	Pair new teachers with experienced mentors who model reflective narrative practices and challenge reductive interpretations of student behavior.
5.	Learner-Centered Inquiry:	Engage learners in sharing their personal language learning histories, motivations, and goals, thereby enriching the teacher’s understanding of learner narratives.

These strategies not only foster deeper understanding of learners but also embed reflective and equity-oriented habits in teachers’ professional identities.

Conclusion

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk The Danger of a Single Story provides a conceptual lens for new ELT professionals to critically examine their teaching assumptions, embrace diverse student and personal narratives, and deepen their reflective practices on their own teaching and learning. By resisting reductive stories and foregrounding learner identities, new teachers can cultivate empathy, cultural responsiveness, and instructional flexibility, key dimensions of professional development. Integrating Adichie’s ideas with established research on reflective practice, teacher cognition, and equity can help new teachers become thoughtful, adaptive, and socially conscious educators capable of fostering inclusive language learning environments.

San José, Costa Rica

Saturday, May 16, 2026

 

📚 References

Adichie, C. N. (2009, July). The danger of a single story [Video file]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en#t-182663  

Ehst, E. S., & Hermann-Wilmarth, J. M. (2014). Troubling the single story: Teaching international narrative through a critical literacy lens. ALAN Review.

Grudnoff, L. (n.d.). Equity in education and teacher professional learning. University of Auckland.

McKenney, Y. (2016). Beyond the single story. Educational Leadership, 74(4).

MIDTESOL. (2016). Using Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” in the ELL Classroom. https://midtesol.org/ted-talks-using-chimamanda-ngozi-adichies-the-danger-of-a-single-story/

Rozimela, Y., Fatimah, S., & Fudhla, N. (2025). EFL teachers’ practices and perspectives on self- and collaborative contextualized reflective practice. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 10.

Borko, H. (n.d.). Teacher cognition and professional development.

Karaman, C., & Edling, S. (Eds.). (2021). Professional learning and identities in teaching: International narratives of successful teachers. Routledge.

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