“Because love is an act of courage, not of fear, love is a commitment to others. No matter where the oppressed are found, the act of love is commitment to their cause–the cause of liberation.”
Love is so rarely officially mentioned when we talk about pedagogy or curriculum, certainly not teacher evaluation, yet when I talk to teachers about what keeps them going, they often use that word–“I love when…” I love seeing….’ I love my content, I love seeing the aha moment for a kid…”
I know for myself it has only been in recent years that I became conscious that the feeling I had for the sincere children and dedicated adults was actually love. When I think that my gift is being able to witness or recognize the spark of brilliance in each person, I now realize that is love–opening my heart in appreciation.
Perhaps this is on my mind while attending Network for Public Education Conference with so many bloggers, speakers, advocates, activist and yes, teachers…..the conversations go from policy to politics to who you know, which blogs got lots of readers….yet underneath, I sense in many of us, a yearning for our children to have a good life and our teachers to get the chance to provide that.
Courage to admit we are human beings and love is essential for human life.