Wonder
The article in the Denver Post several weeks ago, "Awaiting---still-- a renaissance of wonder" by Michal Mazenko really made me think about my students as we start another school year. Many of you have already blogged about that article (Marlys, as usual, very eloquently) but I keep thinking about it and the word "wonder". Francis Bacon said, "For all knowledge and wonder (which is the seed of knowledge) is an impression of pleasure in itself." We all have experienced the pleasure that comes with wondering about something and then pursuing it until we have gained the knowledge that we desire. Often, it seems, when you are on this quest, you just lose yourself in time and space. I feel very fortunate that this happens alot to me in the teaching profession as I'm always wondering how I can improve, what I could do differently that would benefit the students, how can I become more proficient at using technology and the list goes on. I also feel that wonder when I'm speaking Spanish, learning about antiques or pursuing photography or traveling. I must admit that during the summer when I have more time I feel that sense of wonder more.
Sometimes I feel like it really does take some downtime or at least a slower pace to truly have the time to wonder and pursue knowledge. So, how do I help my students to feel that sense of wonder about learning Spanish, especially given their busy schedules and workload? That will be a guiding question for me this year. I'm not sure if my passion for learning Spanish is enough to "light the fire". So, I wonder about how to get my students to wonder.
Sometimes I feel like it really does take some downtime or at least a slower pace to truly have the time to wonder and pursue knowledge. So, how do I help my students to feel that sense of wonder about learning Spanish, especially given their busy schedules and workload? That will be a guiding question for me this year. I'm not sure if my passion for learning Spanish is enough to "light the fire". So, I wonder about how to get my students to wonder.
posted by 21cmelin at 11:59 AM
4 Comments:
I think wondering is very good, and I think that's an excellent guiding question for you.
I certainly don't know all the answers to help our students feel that sense of wonder, but I think the very fact that we're now asking the question is a sign of progress.
The source of the phrase "waiting for a renaissance of wonder" is Lawrence Ferlinghetti's list poem, "I am Waiting" from his 1958 book, A Coney Island of the Mind.It's a wonderfully witty and irreverant social criticism of modern American society. Check it out. Ferlinghetti is one of the last living Beats. He owns and runs City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco. Currently, Ferlinghetti is the poet laureate of San Francisco. It was Ferlinghetti who published Alan Ginsberg's Howl--that set off a firestorm concerning censorship--the book was censored, banned from being published/sold. When Ferlinghetti took the ban to court, he won. We won, as a literate populace.
We hurry through curriculum in order to prepare our kids for the test or for the next year. In essence, we communicate that the agenda is more important than the exploration of subjects they are passionate about. I think sometimes we simply need to communicate to students that this wondering is something we sincerely value. And, when a student does wonder, we need to follow through and throw out our agenda or postpone that agenda to encourage that fire to ignite.
Well said Lauren. We all need time to step out of the "agenda" and persue our wonder and interests ;)
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