Here we are...

I'd say what a long journey it's been, but DAMN these summer classes pack in a lot of material in a short amount of time. I guess that's what surprises me. I feel like over such a remarkably short amount of time, my thought process has been stretched and pulled with all this reading and discussion. It's not that i'm thinking a new direction...LC is pretty in line with my own approach to teaching, but there have been some very subtle and significant advances in my thinking. Now and again I think we need a reminder from our peers, or even from a notable theorist simply putting it down on paper to call our attention again to certain iniquities that exist in our society. That we have to acknowledge how differently people have it. That we need to learn how to approach different situations with students, parents, administration or legislation with unforgiving commitment, level-headed objectivity, and grace even in the face of stubborn or rude opposition, or aggressive attitudes (hello, Kathleen...). I'm grateful for all the opportunities we've had in this class to try on the shoes of being a real teacher, albeit in little skits riddled with laughter and superheros and bratty kids. It's been a real window into what life might be like for all of us in an unbelievably short amount of time. It's been a very enlightening first taste, and I'm really glad this energetic and eye-opening class was one of our first at Lewis and Clark. Thank you to Zalika, and to all the energy that each of you brought to the class. We easily could have opted for embarrassed timidity, but instead we took on our roles and helped teach by doing and watching. It was really nice to be a part of a class that actually exemplified the theory we've been learning, and not just sitting through lectures on Dewey. I'm sad it's over!