Neglect
At last I
know
What’s been wrong for
me
That absence of
care
Which leaves you wondering where you
are
As the wind
howls
Through broken windows to your
soul
Framing a derelict
construction
In the backyard of
inattention
At last I
know
What’s been wrong for
us
That plain-speaking
nonsense
Which leaves out what’s within
us
As the mind
growls
Against the disruption of its
face
Painted on the wall that
stands
In the foreground of
rejection
Where two sides can never
meet
Each seeking the other’s complete
defeat
In hollow
victory
Where wind
howls
As mind
growls
Against the dying of the
light
Until, at last, a loophole’s
found
Where lonely figure finds its
place
In ground
Where deserted ground extends its
space
Through
figure
Each finding life
In the care of the
other
Where what’s good for the life and
love of both
Is good for the life and love of
each
Despite appearances that seem to
teach
The need to preserve against the
other’s reach
What May Not Be
Obvious
Every body is a cavity at
heart
Every figure reconfigures both in
science and in art
Every face is interfacing from no bottom
to no top
Every faith is interfaith that cannot
tell us where to stop
Every lining opens inwards as it brings
its inside out
Every curtain closes outwards to conceal
its inner doubt
Every story ends in opening from some
future into past
Every glory is the story of finding
first in last
Every aching is the making of another
role for play
Every taking is the slaking of another’s
thirst to stay
Every tiding’s no confiding with-out the
trust to tell
Every siding is no hiding from the fear
of utter Hell
Every flowing is the ebbing of another’s
world within
Every glowing is the lighting of the
darkness in the spin
Every heartbeat is the murmur in the
core of inner space
Every drumbeat is the echo of the dance
within each place
Every silence is the gathering of the
storm that is to come
When Love comes to
Life
Warmest
Alan
----- Original Message -----From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Francina VentTo: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 8:15 AMSubject: Re: IntroductionDear Kathy,I was touched my your e-mail and felt drawn to respond. I never write on this e-seminar, I just read all the discussions with interest.I just wanted to let you know that it is really important to look after yourself too when you're teaching. I used to work a ridiculous amount of hours when I was teaching full-time, but I couldn't do that after I had newborn twins. I couldn't work as many hours after school and what I realized was that I actually had more energy for the children when I had some real mental time away from school/teaching. What counts most is the time with the children and you can't give them your all if you are mentally and physically exhausted because of all the extra work you put in outside of teaching.Interestingly, I have recently been doing some research on Steiner/Waldorf education and from what I've read, the teachers at Steiner schools often engage in some form of artistic activity during part of their staff meetings. I find this fascinating, it's like they are being allowed to have down time and to nurture themselves and each other before embarking on the nitty-gritty of a staff meeting.Anyway, I wish you well, Kathy and hope you find some time for yourself as well as the children you teachFrancina Folger-Vent
On Aug 11, 2010, at 7:14 PM, Kathy Bauman wrote:
Hello Dr Whitehead and all of the e-seminar participants,I would like to introduce myself to you. Its taken me awhile to respond as I wasn't sure if I qualify to participate. I am doing an action research project but at a Masters level. I am 39 years old and live in Hanover, Ontario, Canada. I am a teacher for the Bluewater District School Board. I was in a junior level classroom in a small country elementary public school. Three years ago I studied special education and became the learning resource teacher for a large (just over 500 students) elementary ( are students are ages 4 to 12) public school in my community. I am working on my Masters of Education with Brock University.My action research project will hopefully change my life but I don't know if it would contribute to the creation of living theory.Are you familiar with Dr William Purkey's work on invitational education? Our last course was with a colleague of his named Dr John Novak. What I learned is changing my thinking about myself as an educator. I learned that I matter, not just my work. He said good teaching takes energy so take care of yourself. That is an aspect of life I have neglected.
What Dr Jackie Delong taught me rocked my very foundations as she wanted to hear my voice and valued what I had to say!My research question is, can I improve my professional practice by being personally inviting with myself? In my head the question is more blunt but I don't know if it is appropriate to be blunt in a major research paper: Can I contribute more to the education of my students by caring for and about myself?I am concerned that if I do not change my feelings about myself and how I do my practice; I will not be here much longer. I have significantly and negatively impacted my health by thinking that my work as a teacher was more important than anything else, that I myself had very little value. I have thought that my only value in the world was as a teacher in the public school system. My identity was strictly tied to how I felt I was doing at work and how those in the work setting interacted with me. I could be destroyed by words and actions of others at work because that was the only thing that really held value for me I wanted to be valued and cared about at work. I am a workaholic and have been very proud of my level of commitment to my job. We work with children. We can fill them with hope, a joy for learning, and invite them to believe in their potential. I believe heart and soul what is written on the plaque by my desk, “A hundred years from now... it will not matter what my bank account was, what sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”( Kathy Davis, 1993) What could be more important? And yet, what will I be offering to the education of students if I am no longer healthy enough to work? I need to learn how to care for myself and give from the overflow of my energy. This is the basis of my context and the concern that fuels my research.I am not well read yet so if what I have written makes you think of articles or books I should read I'd welcome that information.
If you are interested, I would be happy to send you some details on the project to date.Thank you.Sincerely,Kathy BaumanOn 28-Jul-10, at 4:58 PM, Jack Whitehead wrote:Welcome to Alfred Kitawi from Strathmore University in Kenya, Kathy Bauman and Encarna Martinez an educator from Spain who join the e-seminar today.Dear Alfred, Kathy and Encarna - when you are ready do please share your research interests in the e-seminar. Looking forward to your contributions. Jack.