Diary, it's May 17th and I had another conversation with some students
about love and teaching. They're really confused about me, a professor,
talking about something one of them described as "so romantic." You know,
people have heard of "EI," emotional intelligence; some have heard of "SI,"
social intelligence. But, tonight I want to talk about "BI," beauty
intelligence. I'll put it simply to you as I did to them: things and people
are beautiful if you love them! When you see beauty, you don't want to ignore
or destroy it; you are impressed, even "oohed and aahed" by it; it makes you
contemplate; it makes you feel at ease, smile, maybe laugh, certainly happy;
so, you want to nurture and you want to be kind to. Pretty powerful stuff,
isn't it. So, I firmly believe that cultivating an awareness of beauty in all
its forms, to extend our concept of beauty, and to deepen our awareness of and
sensitivity to beauty, has a heavy impact on everything we feel, think, and do,
including the classroom.
Diary, I know a bunch of people would feel nervous about all this or
pooh-ha it as meaningless "touchy-feely" stuff, but I'm being very practical.
It's a powerful teaching tool! I've discovered that nothing contributes so
much to my peace of mind, suppresses any frustration and resignation and
disinterest and a bunch of negative feelings, as seeing beauty in each student;
it tunes in and focuses both my intellectual and heart eyes; it strengthens my
commitment and dedication and purpose; it shores up my belief in each student's
unique potential, it deepens my faith in and hope for each student; it
intensifies my resolve to make a difference. I mean, how can you blame,
disdain, denigrate, and condemn someone or something you feel is beautiful?
Because you feel good and energized and committed being around beauty, and
taking it in, and participating in it, it is at the core of my "Teacher's
Oath."
Now, the quantifiers and assessment people won't like this. When I say
each student is beautiful, I don't mean that Victoria's Secret "cult of beauty"
where we think those 5'8", 34-24-34 models or GQ's "washboard abs hulks" are
somehow superior to us. I don't mean the "cult of sentimentality" that dwells
on the outer shell of things. And, I certainly don't mean "cult of
recognition" that spotlights academic honors and rewards. I mean going below
the surface to an individuals sacredness and nobility and worth where numbers
can't graph, words can't describe, or pictures can't capture. When I say
everyone has their own inner beauty, when I say we can write a Keatsian "Ode on
a Student" for each student or for anyone else for that matter, we can doing no
other but care and act caringly. We just have to be trained to be open to see
it, to wake up to it and to savor it. We just have to do the arduous work of
awareness and otherness and reflection. We have to accept the challenges and
difficulties when we step over the line to expand our world and make a
conscious decision to live consciously in this expanded beautified world. And
if we will only give it a little attention in our classrooms, or any other
place for that matter--China, for example--we will find it; we will enjoy it,
and, we will be happily comforted.
That’s why, diary, in some of my workshops, I ask people to write a
"beauty diary." I tell them that they have to search out beauty, and when they
experience the gamut of beauty anywhere, with anyone or anything at anytime: a
beauty in something--a tree, a meal, a building, a scene, or whatever--or in
how someone appeared, what he said, how he acted, and/or what she thought, they
should write down how it affected them. That is, what happened to their
attitude towards that something or someone; did they think in different ways
about that something or someone; what happened to their feelings; did they act
differently; did they change their attitude and behavior?
I've learned that as we learn how to deliberately word paint our
experiences of beauty as they happen in our life, we learn how to see and
listen. We, then, automatically become aware of them and reflect on them. The
trick is that once you are aware of it, see it, recognized it, acknowledge it,
and think about it, it pretty much sticks and becomes our guide. The
awareness of beauty will deepen, the sense of otherness will heighten, the aura
of enchantment will brighten, the sense of worthiness will grow, and it will
help you strive to make a difference in each student's life. And, you will
feel meaningful, significant, and purposeful. That's as practical as it gets.
You know, diary, if I had to give a benediction to a teacher, I'd say,
"May you walk in love and beauty. May you live in love and beauty. May you
teach in love and beauty. And, may you contribute to global warming by loving
and bringing beauty into the lives of those you touch." Not bad words to
bestow on anyone.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier http://www.the
randomthoughts.edublogs.org
Department of History http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
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(O) 229-333-5947 /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__ / \ /
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(C) 229-630-0821 / \/ \_ \/ / \/ /\/ / \
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mountains,\ /\
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hills" - / \_
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