When I taught in Baltimore City, I used to start each school year/semester with a question to my students: how many of you see things in Baltimore every day that you would change if you had the power? What would you like to change?
And then I'd share that that's why I'm a teacher - there are things about Baltimore that I would like to change, and teaching is my expression, my tool to get it done.
A friend asked me yesterday to describe what I think the essence of teaching is. I told him that I think it's partly accessing, for myself, a beginner's mind when it comes to information I want my students to learn. I like to start at first principles for a concept, build myself as completely solid an understanding of it that I can, then structure a lesson that my students can climb to achieve a sufficiently deep understanding for themselves.
My intention with my eco self-study for the past year has been to start with an empty notebook and sketch a solid structure from first principles - a solid structure for how to transform our society from exploitative consumption to ecosystem-enhancing relationships. It's only after talking with my friend yesterday that I notice that I've been approaching the self-study like I approach teaching.
Part of my evolution-derived nature is to seek to make things better. There are things about this world that I would like to change. And it's likely that there are things about this world that you would like to change. Of the various traits and perspectives that make up who I am, my fundamental commitment is to share in creating a future where all life is given its best chance at fulfillment.
What would you like to change to make the world a better place?
And then I'd share that that's why I'm a teacher - there are things about Baltimore that I would like to change, and teaching is my expression, my tool to get it done.
A friend asked me yesterday to describe what I think the essence of teaching is. I told him that I think it's partly accessing, for myself, a beginner's mind when it comes to information I want my students to learn. I like to start at first principles for a concept, build myself as completely solid an understanding of it that I can, then structure a lesson that my students can climb to achieve a sufficiently deep understanding for themselves.
My intention with my eco self-study for the past year has been to start with an empty notebook and sketch a solid structure from first principles - a solid structure for how to transform our society from exploitative consumption to ecosystem-enhancing relationships. It's only after talking with my friend yesterday that I notice that I've been approaching the self-study like I approach teaching.
Part of my evolution-derived nature is to seek to make things better. There are things about this world that I would like to change. And it's likely that there are things about this world that you would like to change. Of the various traits and perspectives that make up who I am, my fundamental commitment is to share in creating a future where all life is given its best chance at fulfillment.
What would you like to change to make the world a better place?
I'd like to bring awareness to ppl's sense of "other" and how (I think) it is at the root of a lot our problems. Why we lack compassion and empathy towards ppl who are struggling. Why we don't want everyone to have the same access to healthcare and why we don't want our tax money going towards others that need it. Why we want all the school funds for our kids and not theirs. Why we start wars, why we have racism and violence. That person is different from us and therefore suspicious, instead of seeing them as one of us, our family, a human with similar feelings as ourselves. If we could notice this about ourselves and learn to look past it and realize we are all a lot more alike than we think, so much would be different.
ReplyDeleteI love it. Right on. And I think that if we get in touch with our underlying values, the ones deep down, that most of us would see that who we are really does extend deeply into who others are. That what I really want is more easily gotten when other people have it too - satisfaction, great relationships, health and well being. Thanks for commenting!
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