Bird Droppings August 10, 2012

How hard is it to understand war and teaching?

 

“Internal peace is an essential first step to achieving peace in the world. How do you cultivate it? It’s very simple. In the first place by realizing clearly that all mankind is one, that human beings in every country are members of one and the same family.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama

 

            Within the passage is perhaps a key to humanities survival on this planet. It will never be done simply about who is most powerful, or who has the biggest guns and missiles. We must at some point accept others and understand others. There is a tremendous responsibility lying in the laps of teachers. Throughout the world teachers have daily more input into student’s lives than any other human being. Over my years in graduate school I have written about and discussed technologies impact on youth, sadly often human contact is dwindling daily.

 

“Preserve the fires in our hearts… Our world needs teachers whose fire can resist those forces that would render us less just, less humane, and less alive.” Sam M. Intrator and Megan Scribner, editors Teaching with Fire

 

I found this book several years ago on a Borders bookstore trip. The two editors have taken poetry that means something to teachers and with explanations from those teachers, as to why this poem means so much they created a book, Teaching with Fire. Over the years I have had similar questions asked. Only yesterday a teacher asked me, had I ever hit my own children, and I said no. I was looked at funny, “you have never hit your children?” I in all honesty could not remember ever hitting my own children. Several weeks ago I was asked similar, your kids never hit you or your wife or did this or that, and again “no” was my answer then as well. “Well I guess you just are not normal” was the answer both times.

 

“Normal is not something to aspire to; it’s something to get away from.” Jodie Foster

 

As I wonder at how others see the world like Jodie Foster’s thought. Several weeks ago when first asked about my children hitting me I asked my son on the way home what he thought about it and his response was “normal is what you are used too”. I thought back to recent philosophy discussion on Foucault and how he describes normal after defining abnormal. I have used this many times when talking with kids. Normal is everything left when you define abnormal first.  

 

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” Albert Einstein

 

As I sit pondering, somewhere, somehow we as teachers and parents must set an example to those around us primarily our children and our students to be better than or aspire to be better than. As I look at books on my shelf, Teaching with fire, The passionate teacher, The language and thoughts of a child, and the books that surround me as I write, maybe answers are here. The answers are right among us, we as teachers are the answer. It is not some big secret. Several times over the past few months ago I shared Dr. Nolte’s 1970’s idea of “Children Learn what they live”. I tried to use that yesterday to explain to the teacher asking me about hitting my kids, and that teacher had a difficult time seeing the point.  I pointed to my tattered poster on the wall.

 

“The path of least resistance and least trouble is a mental rut already made. It requires troublesome work to undertake the alternation of old beliefs. Self-conceit often regards it as a sign of weakness to admit that a belief to which we have once committed ourselves is wrong. We get so identified with an idea that it is literally a “pet” notion and we rise to its defense and stop our eyes and ears to anything different.” John Dewey

 

Down in history I have been amazed at how nonviolent men and women have been treated. Gandhi had a difficult time selling nonviolence as well as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a difficult time selling nonviolence and both were killed because of it.

 

“Man is not logical and his intellectual history is a record of mental reserves and compromises. He hangs on to what he can in his old beliefs even when he is compelled to surrender their logical basis.” John Dewey

 

As a teacher, the position I am in each day is one of being on a pedestal being watched seen by hundreds of students each day. As a parent seen by my children each day or when they are home from college. Each of us is seen and understood in context of perceptions and understandings of that moment. Over the past week several students have worn t-shirts that are banned in dress code rules, because of racial over tones. I am always amused when you ask students why they wear t-shirts that are illegal, answers are always vague and noncommittal never because of race. One of my favorite is always “only shirt I had” so you will get kicked out of school for your shirt because it is the only one you had.

Two events yesterday made my day. The first a simple one, I made the comment I was pissed off at a student for something, another student said “Mr. Bird I never heard you cuss before”. Actually I do not swear and did not consider pissed off as swearing either, however in that person’s context it was. But the remark they never heard me swear is what caught my attention, I was setting an example and or not as I said a word that bothered them.

The other comment came as an email. A remark as to my wisdom, I wrote back that wisdom is fleeting and only momentary, as you teach wisdom is transferred and soon you must learn more to be wiser.  

 

“We must become the change we want to see.” Mahatma Gandhi

 

“When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative. The time is always right to do what is right.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

We are the pathway and the direction and the example for others to see. Never should anyone question hitting another person and try to justify it. Never should a person even in a small way feel doing harm to another in any way is justifiable. As a teacher, parent, or friend go out and show in your life what is normal. Running parallel through religions worldwide is a rule, a guide, a talisman for some just a thought, treat others as you wish to be treated. It is about Teaching with Fire, teaching with example. Learning what we live and trying to live it and see what impact can be made. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and always give thanks namaste.

 

Wa de (Skee)

bird