A Canoe & Compass: Teaching/Learning Metaphor
A compass helps to give us direction and direct our movements. The canoe will carry us from one place to another, but we need to have experience, or we will go in circles. We may have to portage at times when the road is too narrow or shallow. If we make sudden movements, the canoe may tip, so balance is important. It can hold several people and things or just one person as required. We can build a new one if the old one falls into disrepair or no longer suits our needs.
Learning requires strategies [a canoe] to get us to where we want to go and goals [a compass] to measure how we're doing, and how close we are to achieving them. Both of these should allow space for growth and making mistakes along the way.
