Butterflies Gave Me An Idea

Today, I went for a run. Actually, it was more of a jog/walk. I prayed for a friend who is in the ICU after overdosing on pills. I prayed for a friend who is sitting in an Ecuadorian jail after being involved in a car accident that put a girl in a coma. I passed a healthy cornfield. I waved at the people in every passing vehicle and couldn’t keep from grinning at the fact that every driver waved back. I approached a field gushing with the bright hues of wildflowers. And in the field I noticed a few dancing butterflies. Rather than quickly thank God for the stunning planet we live on and continue on praying for “God only knows what,” I paused, staring at the butterflies. And I got an idea!

My idea was not a new, never thought of before, unique idea. In fact, I am sure each of us has been encouraged at some point by a teacher, parent, possibly even a stranger, to practice this idea. My idea was to observe and learn from nature in a different way than I ever had before. I have enjoyed many hours fishing and hunting, and have thereby experienced many hours observing and learning from nature. However, standing there mesmerized by the wildflowers and butterflies, I no longer wanted to study the natural world in order to simply experience success in a specific outdoor activity. I wanted to discover truths about life. And I wanted to do it through every single element of nature I could find.

My first teacher: the butterflies. My first lesson: To be social, to diversify, to be light on my feet, and to explore. As I continued on, jogging down a hilly country road, I realized there are countless teachers and countless lessons and each of us has an equal opportunity to enjoy and benefit from God’s classroom.

I arrived home about twenty minutes later excited to share my idea with CJ. While I described what happen on my run he made a sandwich. Then he tested me. He asked what I could learn from the ingredients on his sandwich, which included cheese, onion, and mustard. I answered him…and passed the exam! (I decided not to include my lessons from the sandwich ingredients, as I do not want to impose my perspectives on you, but rather allow you to make your own discoveries).

It has become a humbling and invigorating exercise to seek truth through observing nature. And probably the most exciting part is that I retain and implement the lessons, which unfortunately has not always been the case in other educational settings.

So what are some things around you that you can learn from? What are some ways that you as a parent, teacher, or even stranger can help people engage in self-directed learning?

Image from: http://paradise-butterflies-screensaver.smartcode.com/screenshot.html

My Philosophy of Teaching

Preface: It occurred to me after writing the following philosophy of teaching that compared to the philosophies of teaching I am accustomed to reading, my philosophy is stated in much more general terms. While broad purposes, ideals, and objectives could indicate I invested little thought in my philosophy before writing it, in my case it means just the opposite. I devoted a great deal of time and thoroughness to my philosophy of teaching, and after reflecting on my conversations, observations, and studies regarding education I adopted a common belief, that every child is unique. From that widespread belief I further realized that when one groups children together in a classroom one creates a unique mix of backgrounds, deficiencies, interests, needs and skills, and that such uniqueness demands different curriculums, assessments, management techniques, schedules, etc. It is for this reason I cannot fully endorse a student-centered curriculum over a subject-centered curriculum or teacher-guided Creative Conflict methods over telling students to figure out how to resolve a conflict by themselves. I cannot bring myself to believe that Company X produces the best cursive handwriting course, or that students who are (n) years old must read at level (m), or that the highest qualified teachers are those whose students score the highest on standardized tests.

What I can tell you is this…

My Philosophy: Education is helping an individual grow and develop self-awareness. It is helping people come to respect and engage in the world beyond themselves. It requires taking risks and is an agent in reducing inequality. It also requires a commitment between the student and the teacher and between the student and himself/herself. Education should be assisting individuals in developing personal integrity and social awareness, as well as academic proficiency. While learning how to gather information and synthesize it into knowledge is important, education should also guide individuals to a better understanding of themselves. It should assist them in realizing and utilizing their strengths and weaknesses, in such areas as their personal learning style and adapting to different environments.

I am convinced that every individual has the ability to learn and deserves the opportunity to be taught, or guided. Therefore, my objective as an educator is to deliver quality education to every student in my classroom. I will do this by offering a wealth of experience, encouraging self-discovery, and planning lessons based on my students’ interests. As previously stated, learning requires risk taking. For children, taking risks in education requires a caring and patient environment. To create such an environment, I look forward to tuning in and listening to the mind and heart of each one of my students so as to develop an awareness and sensitivity to my students as individuals. Believing in the commitment that education demands, I sincerely want my students to know that I am not going to give up on them, nor let them give up on themselves.

In order to most clearly communicate my philosophy of teaching, I will close with my education creed, or statement of belief.

I believe that every child has the capacity to learn.

I believe that every child is unique and therefore has unique needs.

I believe that every child deserves the opportunity to be challenged in a caring, patient, safe, and stimulating classroom environment.

I believe that every child deserves the assistance of an educator in discovering his/her unique learning style.

I believe that once a child understands his/her unique learning style a rich love for learning will develop.

I believe in offering students diverse approaches to learning.

I believe in setting high expectations.

I believe that developing proficiency in life skills such as, self-reflection, conflict resolution, self-confidence, gratitude, respect for all that is both inside and outside oneself, and self-discipline are just as important as academic proficiency.

Small Sample of What I Learned in Kenya & Ecuador

- The truth of nonviolence.
- A pineapple will grow if you plant the top of one.
- A giving mentality results in surplus & a taking mentality results in scarcity.
- How to set a candle.
- That discipline requires delaying gratification, accepting responsibility, seeking truth, and balance.
- Self-discipline is self-caring.
- My philosophy of education.
- How to make beds for a garden.
- How to make lasagna, apple sauce, soup, and a French potato dish.
- Some Kiiswahili & some Spanish.
- How to play chess, euchre, casino, wist, contract wist, the spider game, and OMO.
- My world view.
- That I am the absence of myself.
- The usefulness of a walking stick.
- You can accomplish anything if you have enough intensity.

- Sometimes we live a whole lot in a few short, amazing weeks (or even days).

Help a Young Person in Your Life Grow Into a Caring Adult

As one with a strong desire to help children and youth grow into quality men and women I often think about how kids are raised who care. Care about their own quality of life, care about others, and care about the environment. In my hours of pondering this I have decided that one of the best ways is to encourage young people to volunteer. I have further decided that it is easy…if you lead by example.

The benefits to those who volunteer are countless and quality. Volunteering improves one’s interpersonal skills, communication skills, and job skills, as well as helps individuals learn and develop completely new skills, interests, and hobbies. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Volunteering can help you achieve just that as it improves your knowledge. When we volunteer we help solve problems, we improve the lives of others and our own, and we enjoy the intangible benefits of feeling accomplishment and satisfaction. One of my favorite reasons for volunteering is the incredible opportunity it provides for you to engage with a diverse range of people.

I have heard it said that no person is an island. Though in today’s consumer society as we more and more take for granted the communities in which we ARE a member, many people unfortunately operate within that very frame of mind. Nevertheless, it is necessary for our survival that we co-depend on each other. Volunteering allows you to connect with your communities and give back some of the benefits that your communities give you.

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP ENSURE A YOUNG PERSON IN YOUR LIFE GROWS INTO A CARING ADULT??
• Start them volunteering young
• Involve the whole family in volunteer projects
• Involve their friends in volunteer projects
• Take volunteering on the road – Do it on vacation!

There are SO many ways to get involved volunteering from collecting items for charity and visiting people at a hospital to participating in a fundraiser and mowing a neighbor’s yard. To get started contact public organizations such as a school, hospital, library, or animal shelter or go online and do a search on google.com or 1-800-volunteer.org.

And in case you were wondering…It is not only the young that benefit from volunteering. A study conducted by the John Hopkins Medical Institute found that volunteering as an older adult improves mental and physical health.