Kidscorner

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Teaching

Last week I've assisted at school with teaching Dutch and spent time in a class about entrepreneurship. I love the school environment.

What I find amazing is that some kids automatically pick up on knowledge and advance in a short period of time. Others, no matter how hard you try to motivate them don't make any progress at all. But give them something they are interested in and they fly.

In my kids school the students search for their own strength and find their own ways. Once they found their way, their strength and knowledge appears. Some pick up the guitar the first time and it seems they aready know each other. Some automatically move gracefully with the music and others straight away understand the world of numbers. I think there is a lot of truth in the words of Khalil Gibran which I will give you underneath. Wouldn't it be great if all schools would be explorers of the child's unique abilities and strength. The result would be a community with much more passionate people and these passionate people would lateron become the teachers and coaches of young people who found their passion and strength. There would be special schools which would stay open for life for people who take longer to get there, like me. Education would be a priority for the government and ....................... Yeh I know how my Utopia would look like but here is the beautiful writing:

Than said a Teacher: "Speak to us of teaching." And he said: No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of your knowledge. The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness. If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the treshold of your own mind.

The astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.

The musician may sing to you of the rythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the thythm nor the voice that echoes it.

And he who versed in the schience of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but cannot conduct you thither.
For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man.
And even as each of us stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each of one of you be alone in his knowlegde of God and in his understanding of the earth.
Khalil Gibran

13 comments:

  1. Wise words indeed.
    I was a teacher for almost 30 years and loved the interaction with young people.
    Greetings from New York.

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  2. What a beautiful place, have fun :D

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  3. Hi Elizabeth Are you still in NY I thought you would be back in Marocco by now I didn't know you were a teacher. A great job

    This highschool is a wonderful magic place It's not the one in the picture That's just a picture I liked. The school is in the middle of the center so they can make use of all the things the center has ot offer (parks, library etc)

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  4. Wise words again,Marja!
    The way of the school from your kids sounds good - find their own ways!

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  5. Hello !

    Le zèbre va-t-il aller à l'école ?

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  6. Thanks steffi Yes I love the concept

    Bienvenui webradio. Qui, il est tres intelligent

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  7. Hi Marja,
    I haven't heard from you in so long until I decided to check on you via your blog. What a beautiful walk you had at the Rakaia Gorge! I wish I were with you!
    You are a very dedicated and interesting blogger. I hope to see you soon but I will be going to the US from Sept 20 until mid October.
    Elizabeth

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  8. Hi Elizabeth Nice to hear from you. I've been busy but I would love to catch up with you. I'll give you a call soon. Hugs marja

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  9. I love the photo- and your blog. I am a teacher, as well. I'm a kindergarten teacher, and thank God every day!!! It is so much fun, and so rewarding!

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  10. Marja..liked what you wrote about Kahlil Gibran..you know somewhere I feel, we are loosing the importance of learning and moving a lot towards education..if you know what I mean

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  11. We all have our different strengths and weaknesses and we all pick up things at our own pace. I bet you are a wonderful teacher Marja because you have such an innate and wonderful understanding of the human condition.

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  12. That's right Rambler I totally agree

    You always touch me with your kind remarks Gypsy. The truth is that I am a bit too oversensitive to what happens in the world. Therefore I easily go in overload. Not a good trait for a teacher, althoug I really do enjoy it

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  13. I spent much of my life married to a primary school teacher, and these words seem very familiar to me.

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Thank you!!