Philosophy

According to the Encylopedia Britannica, the word philosophy comes from the Greek, by way of the Latin, philosophia, meaning “love of wisdom.” Thus, a philosopher is a lover, a seeker, of wisdom. And what better idea to begin my encyclopedic blog with?
The other day, I received one of those e-mails that fuels me as a teacher...the "love notes" of teaching, if you will. Zoe (not her real name) was one of those students who typically is labeled "emo" by other students--you know the ones. Theatre and art "geeks," sort of misunderstood by much of the rest of the student body, kind of in their own worlds. Zoe had a keen mind, and she was one of those students who, on her good days, makes the job of teaching a truly joyful one, as she soaks up everything a teacher has to give and begs for more. Zoe was my student for three years, the final one being Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. She was in her element in this class, with its in-depth examination of great literature and the timeless ideas behind it. Zoe graduated with honors and no definite plans for her future, although she could've gone just about anywhere, done just about anything. And she likely will--at some point. But for now, she's working at Sonic in our small town...and inhaling philosophy. This is what she wrote to tell me about. Her self-chosen reading list is extensive and impressive--Noam Chomsky, Plato, Machiavelli, representing ideas that I, as an English teacher working toward completion of an MA, have honestly only dabbled in.
The amazing part of this message from Zoe wasn't her reading list, however...it was where she placed the credit for these choices. She says:
"Before I ever sat in your room, Language Arts was synonymous with Boring-Class. From you and your generosity of knowledge, I have gained a love for philosophical semantics ( I just finished reading the essay, Language and Thought by Noam Chomsky which I found to be terribly insightful), a passion for the art of syntax, and a perpetual obsession with the ambiguity of being human. Now Language Arts to me, is an extremely precious craft that I can't help but gorge on in every moment of life."
I feel flattered, of course (and I hope I don't sound like I'm tooting my own horn, because that's not my intent here), but I also feel incredibly humbled and unworthy. A student like Zoe doesn't really NEED a teacher, per se...I think what she needs, more than anything, is an open space in which to explore, to play with ideas. I love that somehow, in the bumbling ineptitude I typically feel I display as a teacher, I managed to provide that for her.

This all just makes me think about what MY philosophy is--particularly my philosophy of teaching, and learning. I'm looking forward to exploring this question through the writing of this blog, and I hope you'll join me on my journey.