A 5-part blog entry
This is officially the final required blog entry for the semester. It was originally intended for our first exposure trip to our respective teaching sites, but due to an unfortunate conflict of events (the kids' classes being cancelled, for one) the trip was moved to next semester, and as such this entry will be about our session last Monday. That disappointed me a bit, to be honest; but hey, that's life!
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
Instead of our intended trip we had another film-showing. Our professor left us with this question before playing he video: What is your center? I thought it was Mulan, to be honest (but that quote would have been "find your center"). The film was Rise of the Guardians, a 2012 American 3D computer-animated film featuring the 'guardians' of certain aspects of childhood, and of children: Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sandman and Tooth Fairy, and their newest addition, Jack Frost, as they battle the Boogeyman Pitch Black.
The story presents an interesting situation for immortal beings in general. For them to be "seen", they must be believed in. But once a spirit becomes a guardian, he must be believed in by children and once this belief is established he must maintain it, otherwise his power will wane. Such is the dilemma of Jack Frost, who has struggled for the past three centuries trying to make children believe in him.
The scene that opens up the central question of this blog post is when Jack Frost is called to the North Pole and has a private conversation with North, better known as Santa Claus.
What is your center?
Here I'm equating the concept of 'center' with purpose. What is one's purpose? The center affects the whole, and the whole those around it.
Teachers all over the world have different reasons for entering the profession - the desire to inspire a student, collect resources, earn extra income - no matter the motivation, the teacher's center affects the teacher and his students. That's a big wave cast by one tiny droplet, if you look at it that way. As an aspiring teacher, I asked myself North's question. What is my purpose? Why do I want to teach?
I've always wanted to teach - not necessarily be a teacher, but to simply teach. I've had this dream since I was little where I share what I know and make an effect on someone, and that someone passing it on and on. Very Humanistic, I know. But the beauty is when, one day, you see that spark in a student's eyes that say I've got it. When that happens, I imagine that I will feel the best kind of satisfaction. And when, years later my student is out in the world carving out a name for himself, I can point to him (or a picture of him, whichever works) and say, That's MY student.
Until then I'll build myself up on that dream and know that I have my center to guide me: sharing.
The story presents an interesting situation for immortal beings in general. For them to be "seen", they must be believed in. But once a spirit becomes a guardian, he must be believed in by children and once this belief is established he must maintain it, otherwise his power will wane. Such is the dilemma of Jack Frost, who has struggled for the past three centuries trying to make children believe in him.
Center I
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| North explaining the concept of a guardian's 'center' to Jack Frost From: disneyscreencaps.com |
"... This 'wonder' is what I put into the world! And what I protect in children; it is what makes me a guardian. It is my center. What is yours?"
--- Santa Claus to Jack FrostAnd because I don't know where to place this trailer, and to make sure it doesn't spoil a carefully-outlined blog entry, here you go: (a big thank you to the Youtube channel DreamworksAnimation for this!)
Center II
Here I'm equating the concept of 'center' with purpose. What is one's purpose? The center affects the whole, and the whole those around it.
Teachers all over the world have different reasons for entering the profession - the desire to inspire a student, collect resources, earn extra income - no matter the motivation, the teacher's center affects the teacher and his students. That's a big wave cast by one tiny droplet, if you look at it that way. As an aspiring teacher, I asked myself North's question. What is my purpose? Why do I want to teach?
I've always wanted to teach - not necessarily be a teacher, but to simply teach. I've had this dream since I was little where I share what I know and make an effect on someone, and that someone passing it on and on. Very Humanistic, I know. But the beauty is when, one day, you see that spark in a student's eyes that say I've got it. When that happens, I imagine that I will feel the best kind of satisfaction. And when, years later my student is out in the world carving out a name for himself, I can point to him (or a picture of him, whichever works) and say, That's MY student.
Until then I'll build myself up on that dream and know that I have my center to guide me: sharing.
Welcome to the Dark Side, it's [going to be] awesome
An important message my professor told us to cap the semester is empowerment.
The goal of the Literacy Training Service (LTS) Program is to empower children by developing their literacy. Not just basic literacy, mind you, but functional literacy; the ability to read, write and practically make sense of what you know. For the rest of the year, we must not forget our goal of empowering kids so that they have a better chance at life.
Being a teacher is going to be challenging, because the program is aimed at kids who have a harder time with reading. But I know it's going to be worth it. Because, as my professor emphasized, our goal is world domination.
I kid.
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| A cropped-out screencap of the e-mail from our professor before our first meeting |
See you again soon,
Daniel.
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