Why Teach?

Note: Image from Harry Graver, WSJ

A couple of days ago I was reading through a book a friend gave me about what a "real education" is.

In his book "Why Teach?" Mark Edmundson comes across as brilliant and, at times, radical.

This excerpt particularly struck a chord with me because growing up in school I behaved like a zombie.

I hardly thought outside of the box, with the exception of creative projects, yet I knew I was smart... Just not as bright as some of my peers.

Academically I felt mediocre in comparison but mainly because I lost interest in school. Several years down the road I was admitted into the University of Texas at Austin because I made it within a certain percentage of my high school ranking. Even scarier than the thought of leaving my family to go to school was entertaining the idea of what I wanted to major in.  

It wasn't until I left my computer science major to go into the education program that I felt "bright" and "unique." I had professors actually believe in me and tell me to my face how unique of a learner I was. I fell in love with what I did and, for once in my life, felt that purpose... That drive... That calling made me feel sane and warm and happy inside with what I was doing with my life.

The following excerpt struck something inside of me so hard that it made me come back to my blog after several months of inactivity.

​"Universities that have made themselves into corporate cities are not hard to spot. Most of the students - and many members of the faculty - are buzzing from place to place, always feeling a bit self-important, always feeling a bit behind, like that poor rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. The people who represent corporate universities to you - the tour guides and the rest - will talk a lot about new computer initiatives, about partnering with businesses, and about the creation of young leaders. They'll talk about recent grads who have hit the Silicon Valley jackpot. These are near kids who have made pots of money and - one feels this by implication - are soon going to spread some around their former school, to which they are extremely grateful. You'll hear the word excellence about a billion times. 

Now even in the middle of corporate universities,  you will find people who are not playing the game. These are not necessarily people who don't show up at a boring class, who smoke a lot of weed, who read books that aren't assigned, who play in bands with bizarre names, and who wear T-shirts that are distressingly original. Though sometimes they are. But what truly characterizes people who are living in, or who want to live in, a scholarly enclave?

It's pretty simple, really. They are at school seeking knowledge as to make the lives of other human beings better. They will not tell you this when you ask them about it in casual conversation. But it is true. They want to be teachers and scientists and soldiers and doctors and legal advocates for the poor. They want to contribute something to curing cancer; they want to make sure the classics of Roman literature don't die; they want to get people excited about the art of Picasso and maybe inspire people to make some (Picasso-inspired) art of their own; they want to be sure that when a foreign nation is inclined to threaten (I mean really threaten) the peace of the United States of America, that nation has to think twice and twice again.

Do these people want some recognition? Do they want to get paid? Yes, in varying degrees they do. There are very few people who are entirely unselfish in this world, and sometimes they don't live too long. But the people I'm talking about often put others first. They have a love for humanity in them, and it is this love that chiefly motivates what they do, even if they don't tell you so every five minutes. They want to make the world better and they are honest with themselves about this: They know that any quest that involves status and enrichment is dangerous and that it can take away from what really matters. They know that the human capacity for self-deception is boundless and they are always on the lookout for the moment when their pride eclipses their love for the world."

A bit of a long excerpt but it rang true with what I was doing and why I was doing it in the first place. This is by no means a way of bragging to show how ethically and morally "superior" I am over the next person but a way of demonstrating my drive in my field.

I'd like to end on the note that I was once a very confused and blind sheep on campus struggling to make sense of my life and purpose and once I left my major to go into education, I finally found that "spark" for my being there.

If you do not know what this spark means then maybe you need more time or, even, direction.

Take risks, try something new, and force yourself to feel uncomfortable. It may not always work but you honestly will never know until you put your best foot forward and experience the new.

However, if you do understand what this spark means I would love to hear from you. The world has become more globalized and while we can share tons of new information in seconds let's start sharing happy stories, yes?

Who’s with me?