Where Is The Beauty

I'm writing a book!  It's a game changer for me.  It changes how I see myself and the work of Brave Teachers everywhere.

I'm going to start sharing snippets of the work in process.  What I share today are the bits that resonate with me at my core center.

Here it goes:

"Whenever it was that we dehumanized children and turned them into robotic test takers, we stopped acknowledging the humanity and unique spirit of each person--us and them.  This created a spiritual vacuum--a black hole of sorts.  

One simple example is the removal of beauty from the experience of public education.  We have reduced or removed art and music education from the daily and weekly schedule.  Classroom teachers are guilted and shamed into removing these frivolous extras in order to make room for more testing and test preparation.  

What happens when we try to educate children without beauty?  They stop being able to see it or honor it or nurture it or protect it in the world and people around them, including themselves.  

How in the world do we bring it back?  For ourselves?  For our students?  We start a spiritual practice in ourselves.  We become the beacon of light which scares away the darkness and invites hope.  The subtle beauty will move slowly at its own pace and move in and out and around obstacles.  Wherever the beams of light fall there is the promise of more."

from The Transformational Classroom
by Miriam Daniel

Let me know what you think!  And share it with anyone who gets what I'm talking about {or who you wish got what I'm talking about.}

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