Hyperobjects in Education: Predicting and Preparing

Timothy Morton, writer and philosopher in their book 'Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology After the End of the World' describes hyperobjects as things that are often too large, complex or distant for us to really grasp and sink our teeth into. Concepts and objects like blackholes, tectonic plates, oil spills and the solar system. We know what they are, we understand their impact and meaning, but somehow - “We only grasp fragments and patches that do not always seem to connect up from our view on the ground.”

To me this makes sense- there are so many large hyberobjects in the world right now, our brains are so overloaded we are in a state of confusion. We are swirling around in the quagmire of human and climate trauma- Covid-19, political, racial and economic conflict. There are massive forces nudging and shoving us in all directions. As educators our cycle of swirl adds another layer of concern to our already taxed brains. Our students are feeling the anxiety as well and this is coming forth- in their behavior and engagement.

It is a time of ambiguity and distrust and it is creeping into every aspect of our lives. As educators, again we have this extra quake of concern that is causing us to withdraw a bit. We are present in our classrooms, we are planning and implementing, we are professional. But, the hyperobjects of the human landscape are causing us to get overwhelmed and exhausted more than in previous years.

We are not focusing on the many asteroids of anxiety hurtling through education space- but they are weighing on us. We are so focused on our classrooms that we are not encountering the other hyperobjects frequently in a tangible way, a succinct format where our minds can truly form a plan to do as we do as educators, learn from them and conquer any hurdles. But when we get home- they compile and compress.

I have been walking around these last few months in a state of confusion. I am functioning everyday- I haven’t missed a day of work. I am performing my weekly tasks, completing my routine. Yet, things feel very abstract, like in a movie, when you know something awful is just about to happen and you are yelling at the screen, “watch out, the villain is right behind you- turn around, turn around!” I have been speaking to a lot of my colleagues, students and family and friends and they are feeling the same way. Just out of sync. Head on a swivel, but feeling blinded by the pollution of negativity and suspicion. A heavy fog coating everything. Even the most focused mind can’t seem to penetrate.

In the human realm, political, racial, economic and of course health related hyperobjects are bouncing about our daily murk. But as educators we have more particulates taking seed and causing stormy weather. The battles against our profession are becoming commonplace. Where can we even begin to make sense of it all? We can not conquer every battle, for when we finally see the dust settling, there is another round of ‘incoming.’ We grab our shield and fight on- knowing there is more to come. More suspicion, more judgement, more particulates being condensed into our daily weather. The climate seems bleak at times, but the weather shifts, it brings calm and sunny skies. We need to embrace those.

No matter your point of view, opinion or battle ground- we all agree that our children, our students are what matters.

We believe that they must be provided safe environments to learn- that are flexible and open-minded. That equity is at the foreground of lessons, discussions and community. That we might get push back and questions. But if we are putting students first, we will be able to find the most equitable and inclusionary approach to education.

We need to have open conversations, we need a place where students can ask questions and feel a part of the decision making. Where they have choice and opportunities to find their own learning path. We all have planted our seeds (students and educators), we are all rooted in our tropism- our movement of growth and function. As educators we must focus on the gardens and fields of beauty- some grasslands and other forests. But our students are focused on the sunlight for photosynthesis and the soil for nutrients and water.

Students have very different lines of sight than we do. We as educators, of course, are focused on the big picture, the ecosystem- while students can only focus on their habitat, their niche. That is a hyperobject we as educators face- we need to look beyond what our minds can necessarily process simply. 

The classroom has tables and students- learning centers and chalkboards. Our hyperobject is that every student is learning and growing- we know what we are striving for, but how can we get there? Is it possible to make sure that every student in your class, at every moment, is engaged and learning? No.

We are focused on individual student progress, classroom growth, meeting the standards, pace and curriculum path. We are focused on the human quagmire of hyperobjects, our health, our livelihood. We are focused on family and friends and now of course the holidays. We are wrapped up in so many things our focus can get muddled. Our students' focus gets muddled. Yet, we overcome and learning happens. We overcome the hyperobject and get to the essence of the classroom..

It is difficult for any of us to truly grasp where someone else is coming from. What is happening to our students once they leave our classroom- the hallway, the bus, their homes. There are too many variables. These circumstances are so unique - how can we? So we focus on what we can design and implement- classroom life. 

Even in our classrooms we are still inundated with perspectives, opinions and personalities. Listening, guiding, mentoring our students the only way we know how. We are all particles in a system of change. We are adjusting and maneuvering at such a fast pace, no one has a perfect handle on things. Some are doing better than others- but everyone has their blindspots, their hyperobjects that steer them off course.

For myself, meditating helps. Walking away from school responsibilities when I leave the classroom at least 3 nights a week helps (plan ahead and work harder on the other two weeknights). I make sure to spend most of my weekends doing what I love- hanging out with family, reading and writing. 

If I do not close myself off of social media and just exist in a microcosm sometimes- I get very lost in the fog- I hear everyone, I feel the warmth of the sun- but never seem to find it. This is anxiety. This is coping with the hyperobjects that we are facing- too many to name, but we all know what they are.

Vitriol does not make things easier. Seeing the judgement and anger lightning bolts blasting and splitting around us makes things worse. No wonder we are all spinning in the storm. Like a weathervane on the roof. Some days we feel good, we find something to focus on, that is localized- something we can control, so we feel more balanced. 

Other days we feel like the bent back umbrella- fighting to reverse snap into place amidst the lurch of wind. Unfortunately many of us, some days feel trapped inside the tornado- bouncing off the trapped refuse of skepticism, perplexity and indecision. We make plans, but break them. We lose our routine and comfort zones- and we drift.

I say a mantra, daily, that I recently heard in a television show “La luz del alma” (the light of the soul). I repeat it to myself as I feel blind in the dark, helpless when so many voices are overlapping and distracting, when I am feeling anxious and offset in my classroom. I mentally say it more than I can count on a daily basis.

I am reading “Atomic Habits’ by James Clear and other books about philosophy and sociology- I love to read about the human mind and how we think and process the world around us. I am writing in my journal a lot, organizing my book. I am trying my hardest to stay focused on what I can control- as they say. BUT when you are feeling anxious and nervous- you don’t feel much in control do you?

The hyperobjects are so large and so diffused they feel like we can’t get a handle on them.

So many opinions and counter-opinions.

The only way to start to decipher them is to swivel away from them sometimes and focus on the local things.

But they loom, they cause the shift in temperature and air pressure that leads to our storms- our mental squalls. The jet stream of the collective thunder is strong.

I hope you have found your refuge, your shelter in the extreme weather- we find ourselves as educators and as humans. I hope you find your calm in the chaos. You are amazing and strong. You are a voice of reason and the embodiment of mindfulness. I thank you for the positivity and joy you add to the world- it is those like you that bring the light- even on the stormiest of days.

We can predict hyperobjects- we need to widen our scope to ecosystems and narrow our view to the flora within it. We can not remove them from our realm because they are part of the fabric of it. So, especially as educators we need to have strategies to combat them and unravel them for our students and for ourselves.

The only way we can prepare for them is to recognize them- see them for what they are. Accept them and look them in the eye- turn around per se- rather than yell at the screen- turn around and face them. Education is a field misunderstood by those who are not submerged in it every day. We need to talk openly about it- share ideas. Help others understand their hyperobject- education. For us educators it is life- for others it is a hyperobject too large and fluid for them to fully grasp. Let's be the leaders and help bridge the gap.