Above the board in my classroom is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi that reads, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Now that I have Zoe in my life, that feels truer than ever. I want Zoe to be intelligent, hard-working, thoughtful, curious, witty, creative, respectful, happy, and above all else, kind (and I'd also like her to live in a world that values those traits). I'm realizing that I can't give her those characteristics just by thinking it or saying it. In order for Zoe to develop into the spectacular person that she will be, she needs to see those traits in action from me. That's making me reevaluate all of my actions to ensure that I'm being the best possible person and role model that I can be. I want to be sure that Zoe sees me making smart choices, working hard, thinking carefully, questioning the world around me, having a good sense of humor, thinking of creative solutions, showing respect and dignity, smiling and having a positive demeanor, and treating others with kindness.
In my Earth science classes, we talk about "heal(ing) the split between what you think and what you do" (from Michael Pollan's article, Why Bother) as it relates to climate change and environmental issues, but this really applies to all areas of life. I try to encourage students to find an issue that they care about and take some small step to make a positive impact on that issue, to make what they do match what they think.
I heard a great example of this today on NPR, a company called Gideon's Shoes in Australia (which as a side note has had a roaring economy recently). Gideon's Shoes was started as a profit creator to benefit a set of youth centers called The Street University for underserved areas of Sydney where young people can come to play basketball, rap, and "...realise their own innate capacity as well as their ability to affect change and to participate in the community around them." They designed some sneakers and explored their manufacturing options in Asia, but found poor working conditions in all of the sweatshops they visited, so instead they decided to have their shoes manufactured in Australia with decently paid workers and good working conditions. As a result, their shoes are a bit more expensive than some mass-marketed, mass-produced shoes, but the profits go to good working conditions and a great youth center cause. Their shoes are also made with Australian products like kangaroo leather and cane toad hide and they look sweet. If I had $170 to spend on shoes, I would absolutely get a pair of these in gold. What a sweet work shoe!
In my Earth science classes, we talk about "heal(ing) the split between what you think and what you do" (from Michael Pollan's article, Why Bother) as it relates to climate change and environmental issues, but this really applies to all areas of life. I try to encourage students to find an issue that they care about and take some small step to make a positive impact on that issue, to make what they do match what they think.
I heard a great example of this today on NPR, a company called Gideon's Shoes in Australia (which as a side note has had a roaring economy recently). Gideon's Shoes was started as a profit creator to benefit a set of youth centers called The Street University for underserved areas of Sydney where young people can come to play basketball, rap, and "...realise their own innate capacity as well as their ability to affect change and to participate in the community around them." They designed some sneakers and explored their manufacturing options in Asia, but found poor working conditions in all of the sweatshops they visited, so instead they decided to have their shoes manufactured in Australia with decently paid workers and good working conditions. As a result, their shoes are a bit more expensive than some mass-marketed, mass-produced shoes, but the profits go to good working conditions and a great youth center cause. Their shoes are also made with Australian products like kangaroo leather and cane toad hide and they look sweet. If I had $170 to spend on shoes, I would absolutely get a pair of these in gold. What a sweet work shoe!