One of our true American traditions, Back to School, presents a new beginning for students and teachers. For every first day of school shines like no other during the school year. Maybe it’s the new clothes, the polished halls, or a general belief that “this year will be different, even better” seems to emanate throughout the public school system. Then, something happens. Slowly, the sheen begins to fade as we discover that the new year unfolds like most others; it may be an example of how familiarity breeds contempt. From the teachers’ perspective, lessons may begin to look alike and fade into the lesson plan book. Sometimes, even the classes and the students may blend into a larger framework and begin to lose their novelty and appeal. However, there is a different way to approach the upcoming new school year. By doing so through the heart, rather than the head, this allows the shine to unfold each and every day following the first day. Specifically, consider the discoveries found within our relationships to be our guiding light instead of the curriculum scope and sequence alone. By focusing on the unveiling of the gifts within each student as well as those we come in contact with every day, the school year takes on a whole new perspective. Every new day following the first provides an opportunity to see something revealing and remarkable within our students, our colleagues, and even more important, within ourselves.
Within the Hindi tradition, the greeting of “Namaste”, presents the notion of “nama” [bow] and “ste” [to you], the act of bowing to another is something we see and hear within most yoga classes. More so, this greeting often is interpreted as seeing the gift and the divine in others as well as within one self. By taking on “Namaste” within the classroom, allowing the unfolding of the gift of each student to present itself, we open our hearts to a new way of seeing each other. From the traditional “common core” paradigm, the classroom reflects a process where the teacher presents a year’s worth of learning through instruction and ideally, the student receives this by allowing oneself to be filled with new ideas, skills, or learning. Often, this is measured by assessments, tests, quizzes, and classroom-based projects. However, within a compassion-based classroom, where a “namaste” relationship maintains the focal point of the experience, we all walk away from the school year with a greater understanding of one another, a deeper sense of the human experience which unifies us, and likely, a stronger connection to the learning presented within the classroom for relationships tend to create the bridge as well as the glue between student and teacher within the instructional process. I am not suggesting that teachers forego the importance and value of their content area. Nor should we focus alone on achievement, test results, and “meeting standard”. However, Martin Luther King said it best when he made the plea, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character”. By seeing our students first and foremost in light of compassion, and bow to the gift unfolding within each, we establish a platform which survives the test of time; love, understanding, and character.
Take a moment and think back, what did you learn when you were in 7th grade, or any other year, which you still use today? Often, very little. However, take a moment and recall a specific teacher who changed your life by implementing a different way of seeing their students; one in which was founded upon love and understanding. What we often find within the answer to this question is the notion of “namaste”; a teacher who valued his or her students for who they are, not for what they know. The intent here is to remind us all of the power found within this practice called compassion.
Of course as you begin to plan for the upcoming school year, you are being called upon to implement every new “district initiative”, “site-based goal”, and are guided to “exceed proficiency” within the teacher-evaluation system. However, do consider how you can support your students through a more compassionate understanding of their lives, the challenges each faces, and most notably, the notion of “namaste”. For embracing the gift within will leave an ever-lasting impression for years to come.
A number of related resources include:
Heartmath Institute: https://www.heartmath.org/programs/education/pre-k-12th-grade/
Compassionate Classrooms: http://nonviolentcommunication.com/store/compassionate-classroom-p-34.html
Mindfulness in the Classroom: http://childmind.org/article/mindfulness-in-the-classroom/
Mindful Schools: http://www.mindfulschools.org/resources/explore-mindful-resources
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoSkB1SeXzw