Assignment 3 Final
Naomi Guerrier
Professor Wilson Ding
ENG 2150
December 15, 2023
Dear Principal Stephanie Lukas,
I’ve always wanted to be described as a kind person rather than someone nice. To be kind is to be empathetic, to encompass enough understanding that allows your body to fit into spaces that one would prefer not to. I find that as I grow older, I describe more people as nice, a sore attempt at masking the indifference that many think disappears with just a smile.
When I was younger, I learned about the lion and the mouse. The lion spares the mouse, and the mouse saves the lion from the hunter. But while reading this story, I never gave little me the space to believe it. For something so much bigger to care about something smaller, exchanging protection or even the idea of it, is only possible when one has enough kindness to share or perhaps a body that can survive purely off the personal satisfaction gained from being kind. As I got older, I’ve assumed both roles, predator and prey, and yet continue to find the world lacking the very principles I was taught in elementary school.
As an alum of Elias Howe, P.S. 51, I always hold my time there close to my heart. I believe they were the most formative years of my life as I learned empathy. I spent years reading books, analyzing songs, and learning about different cultures — all activities that gave me the space to learn without undermining the experiences different from my own that I was exposed to. The common factor in all these activities was that they were humanities based. Balancing the amount of attention and resources humanities and STEM courses get will allow us to properly guide children, enhancing their technical skills while growing their natural empathetic instincts. Yet, I find that the humanities are the very areas of study that many, including the administration at P.S. 51, are neglecting. In doing so, we are creating children who are not developing qualities that they should be able to by the ages of three through five.
In the early 1990s, scientists discovered mirror neurons, a type of brain cell that responds equally when we perform an action and witness said action. Many believe that mirror neurons are the reason humans are able to empathize with others, allowing humans to replay actions before responding themselves. In order for these neurons to be activated, one must have experienced certain mental states and emotions. This experience does not need to be literal as these neurons simply need to be exposed to these emotions in some capacity, leading to a similar subjective feeling. These neurons activate three main parts of our learning: observation, visualization, and representation. Interestingly, scientists admit that children developing empathetic feelings is not a stroke of luck but a process that grows out of things that are simpler beginnings.
I believe that these simpler beginnings start in a proper school environment. In 2016, I tried to embrace a new beginning — middle school. Entering a yard with seemingly too many kids left me feeling like it would be impossible not to build a community. But three years went by, and in each, I was met with children who had already taught themselves how to brace for impact. Slowly, they leeched onto me, justifying the subliminal thoughts that let little me not believe in the lion or the mouse. I remember speaking to them about music class, an array of art clubs, cultural exhibits, and becoming playwrights. They always said they never experienced that, and when I would explain why I loved all those, they would stop listening. I think they began to crave this same shared sensitivity that I was brought up on. I think we all saw the rot that the world feasted on, labeled as the survival of the fittest. I knew we weren’t the fittest, but we were strong enough to reach into our bodies and cut out anything kind. We learned math and science. Without fail, the best, the “smartest,” were rewarded for it. At just eleven years old, I learned I was weak enough to reminisce.
Recently, eighteen-year-old me visited P.S. 51 in hopes of discovering an even better space. But I was quickly disappointed after speaking to past teachers. A specific conversation stayed with me. Teacher A ran through the new structure of the school. They said that although they encourage change, they were left feeling unsatisfied, resulting in them starting a second job where they believe their passion and time is properly appreciated. When I asked what the cause of this was, they expressed that the school has shifted to focusing primarily on STEM courses and techniques. Though I don’t believe you had the intention of neglecting your staff, this complete shift in material has led teachers to slowly detach themselves, only worsening the quality of education children are receiving. I remember exactly what they said as I left: “If I leave the school, who will be here to tell you guys, the alumni, what’s new? That’s my favorite part of my job.” Despite their sincerity, hearing these words did not make me feel appreciated. Imagine your only motivation to come to work is to maybe see a few people that stop by every few months. Would you be able to thrive in such an environment?
As our world continues to advance, I find that P.S. 51 is among the many schools that have become a victim to the worker mindset. We are currently experiencing a national teacher shortage. A rising share of teachers is feeling unfulfilled due to increased emphasis on standardized testing, stress, and lack of respect. The idea that humans are only producers in society that are programmed to work is not only harmful but incorrect. Teacher A is only staying now because they have found slight satisfaction in interacting and reviving emotional connections with past students. If our bodies have naturally created parts that crave experience and emotional interaction, why shouldn’t we nurture them? Even with our constant desire to evolve, we have regressed in simply being human. We are watching as people pursue exhaustion in the name of globalization. We have forgotten the importance of teaching our children the soft skills that allow us to be flexible enough to chase and make change. I understand that we live in an age of technology, and STEM content has furthered technology. I do recognize that I have personally benefited from these advancements, along with others. However, in the midst of this, we’ve gone through a global pandemic, wars, protests, natural disasters, and many other events. Do you believe our children currently have the capability to understand what these tragedies mean? Can they even understand their secular problems? Are you creating a space where these conversations can happen?
In order for empathy and emotional awareness to be cultivated, at the bare minimum, students must be exposed to these feelings in stories. The exaggeration and fantastical settings allow for children to engage in all aspects of learning. They can observe humanity through animalistic characters, picking up on the differences in tone when read out loud and begin to differentiate for themselves what they believe is “good” and “bad.” These animal characters are easy to visualize because they are found in nature. I could automatically picture a lion versus a mouse. We can all make the distinction between a big and small animal. This characterization allows us to begin to associate words with one another. For example, a lion is big, so that would mean it is strong. By acknowledging different traits in animals, this is our first instance of humanization, which leads to representation and the grasping of deeper meanings. These meanings often reveal the realities of the world and the qualities that we need to work on. Although I was unable to believe the message behind the lion and the mouse, I always understood the moral of the story. Stories have always mimicked reality.
Sharing in story-telling results in natural conversations related to life. This engagement furthers socialization, another leading agent in cultivating the aspects of learning. Every part of our lives is connected to a story, whether that is learning about historical events, lineage, or detailing our current lives. Interestingly, these events involve multiple facets of the humanities such as reading, writing, music, and art. As time advances, STEM content has birthed a world covered in technology and social media. Every product, business, social media page, and app is only successful when there is a story to support it. The value of a person and thing has become dependent on how it is imagined and presented in its story. Whether that is good or bad is debated, even so this has become an undeniable aspect of life. The entire entertainment industry is built and continues to thrive on stories, from songs to movies to photographs. All these ideas and industries have started simply through the development of a practical line of reasoning, which can only mature through the studying of all sectors of humanities. Exposure to these topics improves our critical thinking skills and creativity, resulting in the examination of multiple perspectives and objective evaluations. These are skills that allow us to invent and improve current technology, expand industries, better ourselves, and grow as a society.
Despite all this, I do recognize that P.S. 51 is just one of the many public schools in America. I don’t believe that you have the power to revolutionize the entire Department of Education, nor do I think you should bear all the responsibility for doing so. Nevertheless, reform has and always will start on a smaller level. By changing certain areas of your schooling to focus on humanities-based materials, you are furthering our students’ ability to develop into commendable, well-rounded adults. After all, the term humanities means humanity and kindness — the virtues that allow us to want to learn about the very thing our world revolves around: humans.
When I was younger, I learned about the lion and the mouse. The lion spares the mouse, and the mouse saves the lion from the hunter. Though we’ll never all have the same standing in society, I hope we slowly leave behind the concepts of sparing and saving. We live in a society where people are constantly hunted out, labeled as a threat for seemingly all and no reason. We must continue to raise children who are kind, giving them a chance to build enough of it to express themselves. Knowing has never been enough. But understanding makes our knowledge useful. We had a duty to children to continue to reveal this knowledge. In doing so, we harvest these qualities in them, allowing them to apply their learning as they see fit. We can’t teach children who they are to be, but we can help them grow past the indifference and solitude of this world. We can all be something more.
Sincerely,
Naomi Guerrier
Annotated Bibliography
“Against Empathy.” Boston Review, 1 Nov. 2022, www.bostonreview.net/forum/paul-bloom-against-empathy/.
Paul Bloom believes that the concept of empathy is exploitative, suggesting that society’s attempt to be empathetic has always been flawed. He mainly uses scientific texts, examinations, and personal psychological knowledge he has to support his argument. Throughout the article, he poses questions, forcing readers to acknowledge their role in misusing empathy. Bloom relies on logic and the idea that science is irrefutable to supporting his beliefs. However, Bloom’s overall message is lost in the end, leaving readers to attempt to connect new emotions with empathy, despite Bloom not mentioning such a connection earlier in the article. Bloom’s research not only explains why humans have an interest in empathy in the first place but introduces the idea that empathy is a flawed concept. This serves as a catalyst of thinking, broadening what it means to truly be understanding of others.
Boris, Vanessa. “What Makes Storytelling so Effective for Learning?” Harvard Business Publishing, Vanessa Boris /wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HBPubCorpLearn_wide_crimson.svg, 9 Jan. 2023, www.harvardbusiness.org/what-makes-storytelling-so-effective-for-learning/.
Vanessa Borris examines three primary reasons why storytelling is effective. She argues that it creates a sense of connection that familiarity allows readers to be open to learning. Additionally, using statistics, she argues that storytelling is effective for all types of learners as they make information easy to remember. She depicts real real-lifeples but mainly cites renowned individuals such as Paul Smith, Peg Neuhauser, and Kendall Haven to support her claims. However, as it is a short piece, one might say that her claims have not been substantially supported. Yet Boris’ simple approach is very easy to understand, allowing one to understand at the very basic that storytelling is necessary.
Hall, Judith, and Mark Leary. “The U.S. Has an Empathy Deficit.” Scientific American, 17 Sept. 2020, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-us-has-an-empathy-deficit/.
Mark Leary and Judith Hall highlight the lack of empathy all around America, forcing people to realize the truth behind the many injustices that people face, both past and present. They recognize that the definition of empathy is not necessarily concrete and mainly a social concept. Though they do not use specific data, the use of current events such as the presidency of Donald Trump, shooting of Rayshard Brooks, and the Covid-19 pandemic depict the need for empathy in these times and the urgency of the matter. Their focus on the wide variety of definitions of empathy, suggest that empathy is not just a concept but rather a way of living that involves encountering feelings, addressing them, and helping all around us.
Townsend, Robert. “Exploring the Humanities in American Life.” American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 19 Oct. 2021, www.amacad.org/news/exploring-humanities-american-life.
Robert Towsend explores a series of national surveys on the humanities taken in 2020. He recaps the following categories: attitudes about the humanities, engagement with the humanities, the humanities and childhood, and humanities skills in the workplace. This article only presents the findings of a deeper study, titled “The Humanities in American Life: A Survey of the Public’s Attitudes and Engagement.” Townsend only uses statistics to demonstrate the general standing of Americans in each category. These statistics show that the ities are still important in adult life but also highlight the importance of being involved in humanities through education. This straightforward presentation of information shows that the humanities are essential, leaving many to consider what the future of the field should be.
Worthen, Molly. “Opinion | The Trouble with Empathy (Published 2020).” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Sept. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/09/04/opinion/sunday/empathy-school-college.html.
Worthen focuses on the flaws within how the concept of empathy is taught but does not denounce the concept as a whole. Using her experience as a mother and professor, she argues that the issues with empathy need to be addressed during childhood in order to create a world that truly has an understanding of all types of people. By interviewing other professors and students involved in the American education system, asking reflective questions, and current events during 2020, she supports her argument. Her argument is easy to digest as it ends on a positive note, but her lack of concrete facts does dampen it. Worthen’s article illustrates the importance of how and when empathy should be taught, suggesting that it is a problem people of all ages need to tackle in order for it to be properly reconstructed.
Zakaria, Fareed. Why America’s Obsession with STEM Education Is Dangerous, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-stem-wont-make-us-successful/2015/03/26/5f4604f2-d2a5-11e4-ab77-9646eea6a4c7_story.html.
Zakaria focuses on the negative impact America’s emphasis on STEM has had on education. He argues that innovation is not only a technical matter but one that involves understanding people and the interaction of human beings. He cites those known for their technology, including Steve Jobs and Mark Zukerberg, as part of many who have shown their support for liberal arts and the humanities. Interestingly, he compares America’s status internationally with other innovative countries such as Sweden, South Korea, Japan, and Israel to show the issue with globalization on a worldwide level. He believes that America has ranked higher on the OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) because it fosters creativity and critical thinking. He concludes sayinthatvation in business is only possible when creative and social skills are acquired. Zakaria examines the issues with STEM education on a holistic level, showing that STEM education is only powerful when connected with humanities, and basic skills can be developed without a computer.