Revelation: Teaching Philosophy

It is only a mere starting point, but my teaching philosophy has suddenly snapped into focus. What I thought this whole time was making a connection to my students through literature has become much more detailed.... and even perhaps, much more cliche, but with a definite point.

"Words and ideas can change the world" -Mr. Keating (as played by Robin Williams), Dead Poet's Society-

Something that might seem so simple has much more to offer. It is vastly more than "yes, my students, I do believe you can conquer the world and become whomever you wish." That is idealistic, something I am definitely not. But even realists, when infatuated with the idea, can become pessimists.

Example: a long-held (negative) tradition of thinking in society might have the potential to be changed, even on a small scale... perhaps racism, or homophobia, or sexism. Or maybe even the ridiculously absurd thought that high-school students are so apathetic they are beyond knowledgeable thought. The extreme realists, those bordering on fatalism, say absolutely not. That pattern of thinking is set in stone, evidenced by years of thinking so (despite it being a wrong way of thinking) and dozens of people not outright admitting they agree with such thinking yet continuing to do so, to act as such even subliminally. But there is one voice in the crowd who believes change can come if we are the agents of such change. The nay-sayers continually put her down, wave her away dismissively, laugh at her infantile optimism. But this one light in the darkness, so full of hope and enthusiasm, vows to make a difference. She will fight for social justice, for what she believes in, so long as she can sleep at night feeling satisfied that what she did was right. She will make her very life matter for the things she believes in. She will stand as testament to fighting her personal "good fight."

I, gentle readers, am not this optimist. At least, not until recently. I was this hopeful youth, a very long time ago, when I thought I could change the world at large. Then the nay-sayers got to me, and infected my thinking, crushed my fighting spirit. I was thoroughly convinced I could never make a difference in this world, for I was only one person. Yet one small voice rekindled that flame of passion deep within me, to stand up for what I believe in. And I believe in the power of rational thinking. I believe in intellectual discourse and debate. I believe in challenging oneself to reach their highest potential, even if it might be painful to a point to do so. I believe that one's view of oneself is never set in stone, for we are human and therefore very dynamic beings undergoing constant change. I believe that I am a teacher, educated very prestigiously (despite what disgusted pessimists might say about the quality of my university's program); as a teacher, I have one job: to challenge my students to believe in themselves as becoming better thinkers, even when they refuse to.