How can the humble Allen Key be related to teaching, let alone the basis of my teaching philosophy?  Before getting into the philosophical aspect, let's take a look at the importance of an Allen Key.  One of the world's wealthiest men, Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, knows the worth of an Allen Key.  He has taken this relatively unknown, small, inexpensive and multi-sized tool to celebrity status by converting a flat pack of
materials into a useful piece of furniture.  This was no accident, it was a stroke of genius!   How many of you have erected a piece of furniture (with or without a few well chosen words) using an Allen Key?  Then you will  understand the usefulness of this understated hexagonal implement. 
 

My philosophical approach to teaching has undergone major paradigm shifts since I started teaching three decades ago.  The development of a teaching philosophy encapsulating the attributes of an Allen Key, unlike Ingvar Kamprad, was a monumental accident.  However, this doesn't degrade the value of this philosophy (maybe it's not worth IKEA billions, but it's worth is invaluable to me). So how does this philosophy correlate to an Allen Key? 

The first aspect of the Allen Key that reflects this toolhardy  philosophy is the shape.  A regular shaped hexagon has six lines equal in length and six equal angles.  This  predilection for six inspired me to develop the Six Degrees of Contemplation™, the nucleus of the A.K.T.P™.  (See below for the elements of the Six Degrees of Contemplation™.)

Secondly, besides being a regular shape, the Allen Key comes in different sizes.  I've coined the phrase "...one tool suits all" (as opposed to one size fits all) to explain the premise behind using the same topic and activities for a multi-levlled class (post secondary).  For example, Level 1 literacy and numeracy students would write a receipt - record the items, costs and calculate overall cost, while Level 3 would record items etc, but they would also calculate discounts and GST (General Services Tax).  Read more...