My internship experience has been fantastic so far, and I could see myself doing this in the future. Since I’m working with the Humanities teacher at Corona, I feel that this curriculum is most conducive to teaching kids things that extend far beyond the classroom. We learn about art, but more so: the lives of the artists, what they were trying to convey, how they were doing it, and what the whole point of it was. We also learn about philosophy and religion, in-taking various people’s views on the world and assimilating them into our own consciousness to increase our understanding of the perceptual differences of which the human mind is capable. The mere discussion of reality is of the utmost importance, for it is all that we do, all that we are, and all we are seeking. The humanities provide a forum for such discourse. We discuss literature, again delving into the human psyche (even if its hundred or thousands of years in the past) and identifying its relevancy to our lives today. “Why do we need to learn this?” is not a common question in our classroom, for the students understand the inherit value in the scrutiny of these disciplines.
This relates directly to my career goals because I want to strive to help people to achieve a greater understanding of themselves. We often live lives concerned with what’s next, what will make us money, what will bring us fame, what will make our parents happy, etcetera. However, to live a life following one’s own path, passions, and decisions, we can truly evolve as a global community. Retirement is not the time a person should pursue their own dreams, but in their youth should seek the path of their own destiny. In this age, people must be taught such a concept, and presented its real value.
The skills I’m learning that will help me with my future career are: how to relate to people, how to get students to have faith in you, how to get them to want to listen to you, and how to twist all the necessary requirements of a standard high school curriculum into something that transcends it completely and can be applied to life. Academics are necessary, and quite valuable in themselves, but without applicability, they become dead and valueless to the student who cannot make such information worthwhile for themselves. To teach that there is a hidden value within what we learn that applies to our own journey through life is one of the most important gifts that can be given.
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Hi Wayne,
ReplyDeleteYou are a very deep thinker! I liked a lot of what you said about the need for the curriculum to be applicable to students own lives. So, that they are able to connect with what they are learning and apply it to their own lives and understanding of the world.
Wayne,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your enthusiasm! It sounds like you are really enjoying your internship. Every time I read your blog I wish there had been a class like this at my high school. I like that the material the class focuses on isn't limited to just one topic and that it goes deeper than the surface. I think it is interesting and necessary for teachers to push their students. I think it is equally as important for students to be willing to participate in some deep thinking. Looks like your internship will be particularly helpful for you in the future.
--Jessica