I am an educator who...

has a picture in my mind's eye of something that looks beautiful to me, a picture about children and learning that keeps coming back to me and won't let itself be put away, and I don't really know if it's possible but I want to find out. I discovered that I wanted to teach not from being in the classroom originally but from being in the woods, where I used to lead children on field trips from their schools. There is an idea among some naturalists and hunters (and probably other people), that the birds have a special language of their own, and that if we listen carefully we can begin to grasp some of its meaning, which is of an emotional quality. Birds respond instantly to danger. It's humbling because they can show us how we can be stuck in our own heads a lot. The birds in effect taught me to listen better to the children. The more I listened to the children, the more I loved them and wanted to know how they thought and how they feel and know and learn things. So I'm an educator who is coming at this from a belief in the power of relationships and connection and community as a basis for children to become who they are. I'm afraid, too. Being a teacher seems like huge work, getting all the pieces. My fears about whether or not I will really be able to be the teacher I want to be and learn all that I need to learn...my own scarcity issues...run up against my idealism and desire for the world to be safe and abundant for children. I am going to try to trust, listen and be open to the challenges of scraping up against reality. I'm glad I'm in such good company.