Life is a journey my friends...
According to Webster's dictionary, social studies is "a course of study including geography, history, government, and sociology, taught in secondary and elementary schools". This definition is true, but lacking. Social studies is in essence the study of all of us; of our history and how we got to where we are today, of our cultures and how they have changed over time, and of where we are heading.
As a middle and high school student, I had no interest in social studies. I spent the first day of 10th grade arguing with my World History teacher about the importance of studying "dead people and forgotten events". He proved me wrong, and by the end of the year I knew I was going to be a history major in college. How did he do it? He breathed life into the past. He taught with passion and expression. He made me feel what it was like to be Queen Elizabeth on the throne of England waiting for the Spanish Armada to arrive and take my country. He struck terror in my heart as we studied the bubonic plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population. He made me wish I could have traveled across the Sahara with Ibn Battuta on his way to Mecca and seen the wonders of Africa and Asia.
The passion that my professor instilled in me is still alive today. I travel as much as possible, and spend my free time studying cultures, people, and places. I love people, and that is what this passion comes down to in my mind. It does not matter the religion or culture of a being, because it is their history that has lead them there. I love them for who they are, and always feel they have much to teach me about life. I hope to inspire openness in my classroom that we may all learn from each other no matter our backgrounds and views. You can learn nothing new from people who are just like yourself. As my favorite man, Mohandas Gandhi once said, "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible."
May we enjoy our journey together this year, and learn about ourselves and each other.
As a middle and high school student, I had no interest in social studies. I spent the first day of 10th grade arguing with my World History teacher about the importance of studying "dead people and forgotten events". He proved me wrong, and by the end of the year I knew I was going to be a history major in college. How did he do it? He breathed life into the past. He taught with passion and expression. He made me feel what it was like to be Queen Elizabeth on the throne of England waiting for the Spanish Armada to arrive and take my country. He struck terror in my heart as we studied the bubonic plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population. He made me wish I could have traveled across the Sahara with Ibn Battuta on his way to Mecca and seen the wonders of Africa and Asia.
The passion that my professor instilled in me is still alive today. I travel as much as possible, and spend my free time studying cultures, people, and places. I love people, and that is what this passion comes down to in my mind. It does not matter the religion or culture of a being, because it is their history that has lead them there. I love them for who they are, and always feel they have much to teach me about life. I hope to inspire openness in my classroom that we may all learn from each other no matter our backgrounds and views. You can learn nothing new from people who are just like yourself. As my favorite man, Mohandas Gandhi once said, "I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible."
May we enjoy our journey together this year, and learn about ourselves and each other.
The Life and Death of Nelson Mandela:
My heart is saddened by the loss of such an amazing friend to mankind. I pray for peace and comfort for his family and his country.