Alert! This is NOT an article about Michael Bloomberg. He is a Democrat party candidate for President and has caused quite a stir with his description of the process of farming back in 2016. But wait. This is an education page, not a political analysis page. Let’s look at the process we have in place to do our jobs. Common sense citizens know their process, and they know their skills. They recognize their uniqueness and suitability for their job. I
As a reference, here is Bloomberg’s description of the process of farming:
-Dig a hole in the ground.
-Drop the seed into the ground.
-Water it.
-You have food (eventually).
His description of one manual trade:
-Put a piece of metal on the lathe.
-Turn the crank in the direction of the arrow.
-You can have a job.
What is missing here is the desire and proclivity to do a job. Common sense citizens take pride in their work. They make it look easy. It rarely is.
What skills do/did you need to do your job? What, briefly, is/was your process? I think we can have our eyes open to the process of making pizza dough, installing flooring or tile, teaching pre-school, burying cable lines, mothering teenagers, being an officer in the military, or an infantryman, operating a telescope, fixing a flat tire, or making the perfect cupcake.
My process for teaching and writing Common Sense Civics and Citizenship is:
-Find a civics or citizenship topic that has relevance.
-Think about the topic from the view of a common-sense citizen. What do they know already? What new information do they need to know? What do I have to say that would interest them?
-Read a variety of sources.
-Sit down with tea and type, using Pages, Word, etc.
-Read back copy before adding on a new paragraph.
-Don’t overwhelm or provide too much information. Give the essentials. (it’s Facebook, not a book).
-Read and re-read the copy as I go.
-Know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ‘em.
-Grammar/spell check
-Locate a suitable photo.
-Prepare the article along with the photo.
-Publish the article and photo on FB and my website.
-Keep a copy for future reference.
-Pay Facebook to run the article.
-Check the engagements with the article and conduct a dialogue with fellow citizens.
What’s your process? What skills do you need? We’re interested! After all, you make it look easy. It rarely is.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. ??
