Empowering All. Validating a Pedagogy of Difference.
The recent slayings in New York, Ferguson, and other places (recent, past, and ongoing) have weighed heavily on the hearts of educators who are working hard to create a more just world. ย However, educators are all about finding hope in every situation (and every student).
The hope I have found is that thisย issue is finally gaining attention.
People who thought that racism was no longer an issue have woken up.
Plus, I am seeing more and more resources for educators.
Children have been meditating at Rainbow since 1977, but now some public schools are realizing the benefits of meditation. ย Check out this wonderful story about how suspensions and violence are radically down at this urban school in San Francisco, and academic results are rising.ย Meditation in school catching on!
“They are so worried about being successful, they want to be a carbon copy instead of an original.” ย –From last night’s lecture by Dr. Cornel West, given to a standing room only crowd at Kimmel Arena at UNCA. ย Of course, Dr West was referring to young people being raised in today’s testing culture, which is so pathologically wrapped up in the achievement culture, they don’t know how to think for themselves.
Dr West is also famous for saying, “Justice is what love looks like in public.” ย It was a pleasure to watch someone speak the truth, and to share that moment with over 5,000 people last night. ย Not surprisingly, I saw several Rainbow alumni there.
This TED video, entitled “The Power of Belief: Mindset and Success” is a powerful reminder of how children can have a mindset to help them achieve what they set out to do.
Thank you to Barb King, counselor at Carolina Day School for sharing this video link.
…because it all counts. To my surprise, this article ended up being about something much larger than spelling. It reminded me that holistic education, such as we practice at Rainbow, makes sense for reasons we may not have thought about. Yes, spelling does count. Take a look at this article: Does Spelling Count?
