Friday Poetry Abridged

As forwarned, May is jammed-packed with things other than blogging. So here is a gesture to Poetry Friday, no more, no less.

One of my favorite American modernists, Muriel Rukeyser:

Then I Saw What the Calling Was

All the voices of the wood called “Muriel!”
but it was soon solved; it was nothing, it was not for me.
The words were a little like Mortal and More and Endure
And a world like Real , a sound like Health or Hell.
Then I saw what the calling was : it was the road I traveled,
the clear
time and these colors of orchards, gold behind gold and the full
shadow begin each tree and behind each slope. Not to me
the calling, but to anyone and at last I saw : where
the road lay through sunlight and many voices and the marvel
orchards, not for me, not for me, not for me.
I cam into my clear being; uncalled, alive, and sure.
Nothing was speaking to me, but I offered and all was well.

And I arrived at the powerful green hill.

The End of the Year

Yesterday three students presented their remarkable senior projects. It was quite moving to feel the support and interest from the rest of the students, but most worthy of comment were the projects themselves: a labyrinth, a fashion show, a book on yoga.

If I take a moment to reflect on what the school year encompasses, I get overawed. I read of a woman who cannot forget anything at all. Every trivial detail remains vivid to her, harassing her. It is unbearable to always know the date and time of what so and so said on that hot afternoon thirty years ago. The dead are never dead, and the whole of a particular experience is never broken down and refitted to the unscrolling narrative of her life. The weather, the words, the image of the action, all are unweighted and unemphasized. A life-long drone of detail.

One of our seniors just arrived with a tiny dog in her arms. Her boyfriend rescued it from an abusive home. She says kids had painted it and were tossing the wretched creature repeatedly into a pond. How will this story be altered over time to reflect what we value, or the point we are trying to make: the virtue of this young man, the cruelty of drunk, neglected teenagers, the trauma syndromes of chihuahua- terriers, the pleasure of being able to bring your little abused dog to school. Each requires a different mix of detail.
A process we take for granted and totally foreign to the unforgetting woman.

So much happens from September to June. The changes accelerate as the end of the year approaches. The last day of school is a time for celebration, a holiday truly meaningful to the young. It marks time and achievement in a way that nothing else can. But being young, they may not reflect on it all that much, they may not drape habits of memory over it. They just live it.

We march in an impose our meanings on their school lives because we see it as our institution. They have to come to school because it is good for them.

But perhaps...perhaps since we make young people come to school we should be far more accommodating to them. At very least, cede to the them the very end of spring. Let them make the meanings.

Some Questions...

The end of the year is nigh. Two students have presented their senior projects: the first was a student's self published book on a number of basic yoga positions. The second a beautiful printed labyrinth for walking meditation. Coming up in a few minutes, a fashion show featuring the designs of another student.

Almost as important are steps we are taking to deepen the insight and attunement of our staff. All of us will be writing a four or five page essay on our individual roles at TAS, our opinions on what is central to its character, and our professional goals.

Here are the questions:

What do you see as your role at TAS? How has it developed? Do you see yourself drawn to the high achieving kids, the strugglers, the orphans, the scufflers? What specific students do you identify most closely with, or are closest to? What classes are most satisfying for you to teach?

What aspects of TAS do you see as absolutely central to its character?

What do you feel are your accomplishments this year, what were your goals, and in what ways did you meet frustration and success?

What are areas in which you feel you need professional development? What support do you need? Have you done any trainings or retreats or taken any classes this year? If so, to what professional or personal ends? If not, why not?

What will be your goals for the summer and the next school year? How long do you see yourself teaching at TAS? How do you see your role changing in the near or middle term? What professional development, self development, academic classes, or degree programs will you pursue over the next year?

How does TAS and your role here fit into an overall personal philosophy of education, human devlopment, and ethical action?

Tuesday's a Wash as Well...

Too Busy. Sorry again.

Tuesday

Nothing Today. My Apologies.