First Day of Peace Education

One of the principles of Peace Education is that you must model what you learn and live what you teach.  How beautiful.  This is so simple yet profound.  What if every teacher were able to model peace in the classroom?  This is what I am presenting on tomorrow.  It may not be possible to teach peace per say, but we could teach in a way that empowers students and gives them a worldly perspective.  We can teach in a way that involves students in the process and that gives voice to their ideas.  This may sound like a no-brainer but how often do teachers and society get hung up on transference of knowledge?  Why are we trying to base teacher performance on standardized tests?  Should learning be standardized?  In a diverse world with perspectives as numerous as people, how can we standardize education?  How can one viewpoint be correct?  The world is not flat after all.  Yes, we all need to learn how to add and subtract and spell, etc., but it is also important to leave room for new innovations.  The world is evolving and so must our perspective and if we limit our children, what are we doing to our future?

An exercise in peace education: Imagine that tomorrow the world is completely peaceful.  What does it look like?  What does it smell like?  What does it sound like?  What does it feel like?  Because if you can't imagine it, you surely cannot live it.  


If you don't have a dream, who are you?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homework Centers – A Communal Solution Supporting Student Success

When I started my job as the assistant to the director of the Lafayette Public Library Homework Center I didn’t realize I would be continuing my own education.   I had just finished graduate school and needed work.   The purpose of the H omework C enter drew me in.   I have known for a long time that that my work needs to be meaningful.     At the same time, I began substitute teaching in the Boulder Valley School District.   The combination of my recent masters in Peace Education and these two jobs led me to appreciate and understand the kind of support that our students and youth warrant and that as a community it is in everybody’s interest to provide. It is no secret that our societal structure is in need of some serious maintenance.  Actually, it has gotten to the point where I wonder if the structural damage is so deep that we need to do a tear down and complete rebuild.  Our educational system has been in the news and at the top of our nations concerns for a long
Read more

International Day of Peace

Image
Yesterday was the International Day of Peace.  It was created by the United Nations in 1981 and first celebrated in 1982. "Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace." One aspect of International Day of Peace is that everyone is encouraged to lay down their arms.  It is a day of cease-fire, both personal and political.  Imagine what would happen if everyone could experience peace for one day.  We have been fighting a war for ten years.  What if our soldiers and the people in the middle east could take a break and live just one day without fear?  Maybe it woul
Read more

North America Night!

Image
One night.  One night to showcase North American culture.  One night to give others an idea of our history, of our lives, values and what makes us American.  Sounds pretty tough, right?  It was very difficult for many reasons at the outset but the results were outstanding. Challenges: 1. North America night included Canada and the United States and NOT Mexico.  How did this happen?  What kind of message were we trying to send?  Just because we are building up our physical borders does not mean we should sever all relations, right?  Well, at the outset, Mexico was included.  The difficulties were numerical and cultural.  There are only two Mexicans at school and it would be difficult for them to showcase their culture with such limited manpower, especially since their culture is completely distinct from the rest of North America.  Also, the rest of us North Americans are loud mouthed and bossy and on-time which left the Mexicans at a slight loss when they didn't come to meetings
Read more