As a teacher I see myself as a catalyst for learning, self-discovery and a resource of information and steady, meaningful work toward goals that develop along the way.
I have tried to be Tim, even in the midst of tempest.
My former students know that they are in a positive environment and that when they think or say, “I can't ...”, my spoken or demonstrated response is: “Learn to say, 'I haven't yet.'”
Two Asian proverbs are like energetic streamers in my mind:
When the student is ready the teacher will come.
&
When the teacher is ready the student will come.
Some of my teachers have had multiple doctorates and some have had years of experience at various trades and the arts. My teachers have been the sick and dying, the people in pain and the blessed children that have orbited into and out of my life.
Many lessons begin with, “Tim, come and look.”
I have tried to raise the gift of seeing into an art and act of faith … and I do see, even through failing eyes, I see.
My camera, pen, pencil, brush, computers and my woodworking tools are means of forming tools and objects that extend my reach just a bit. In this school of experience I am taught lessons of LIGHT, space, color, and texture. The various woods tell me their stories and how they will work. Working with the grain is a great life lesson.
I was enjoying some windshield-time on the way to a client and was thinking of the faith and patience of Noah. A grand NC thunderstorm prompted part of this thought.
He heard God's voice and obeyed in the building of the ark. Noah did as instructed, ignoring the heckling and doubts of others, and he and his family survived.
The thought, new to me, is that Noah did not shut or open the door to the ark, he did not paddle it and he did not steer it. He was in the ark and the ark was in Hands greater than his own. But he was in the ark that he had built.
A fellow scribe recently shared the following jewel that could be printed and posted on every bulletin board and refrigerator door in every home.
The list contains some grand ideas and calls for excellence from all involved in the learning process. The list does not extend to staff and school board, but I feel that the paper and ink would be wasted on both. I have edited it and, if that bothers you, go find the "original" for yourself.
However, for anyone that in school or is simply a student of life, love and joy, here they are:
Rules for Students and Teachers
1. Make your learning-place a place of safety, peace and encouragement. (Tim's edit) 2. General duties of a student – pull everything out of your teacher and pull everything out of your fellow students. 3. General duties of a teacher -- pull everything out of your students. 4. Consider everything an experiment and a process. 5. Be self-disciplined – this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way. 6. Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail, there's only make and make over and make do. (Tim's edit) 7. The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It's the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things. 8. Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes. (It is hard – but necessary.) 9. Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. Life is lighter than you think. You have the choice of making a good and great success and/or lesson at any moment and in any situation. By choosing the light and the right and people of light, those who are darkness will will be seen as grayscale and seem to be at about 40% opacity, if that much. Purify your heart and follow the LIGHT. LIGHT will destroy the darkness and disease and you can clearly follow even the most rugged paths. (Tim's edit) 10. Know the rules and disciplines of the things you are studying. Learn its vocabulary, taxonomy and from that depth of understanding break through the fear and the bonds. Even if you are breaking your own rules, be safe and leave room for joyful discovery. Look to the wonder and marvel in all things and allow the enLIGHTenment to flood your heart and whole being. (Tim's edit) incorrectly attributed to John Cage 1.
- These "Rules", although sometimes attributed to John Cage, were the work of Corita Kent, (1918-1986), serigrapher and teacher extraordinaire, in which she included a quote from John Cage in rule 10.
The calligrapher David Mekelburg produced them in hand-carved stamped lettering and they were published in "Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit," a book begun by Corita with her former student Jan Steward and finished by Steward after Corita's death. (Bantam 1992). Check for a copy at Alibris or Amazon
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