Assignment 3 - Draft
Dear Principal Ryan Bouke,
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 these, even little me knew that this story felt too good to be true. For something so much bigger to care about something smaller, exchanging protection to save the lives of another is only possible when one is consumed by kindness. 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, acting in plays, 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 being exposed to. The common factor in all these activities was that they were humanities based. These are the areas of study that many, including the administration at PS 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. Like many, Psychologist Andrew Metlzoff does not deem children developing empathic feelings to be 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. However, I don’t think that PS 51 is currently that environment. Recently, I visited the school 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.” Upon hearing these words, I did not feel appreciated. Imagine your only motivation to come to work is to maybe see a few people that stop by every few months. I’m not sure I would be able to continue to thrive in an environment like this. Would you?
As our world continues to advance, I find that PS 51 is among the many schools that have become a victim to the worker mindset. The idea that humans are only producers in society and programmed to work is not only harmful but incorrect. If our bodies have naturally created parts that crave experience and emotional interaction, why shouldn’t we nurture them? Despite our constant want to evolve, we have regressed in simply being human. We have forgotten the importance of teaching our children the soft skills that allow us to be flexible enough to pursue and make change. I understand that we live in an age of technology, which is partially due to the increase in accessible STEM content. I do recognize that I have benefited from these advancements. 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 be developed?
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 human-like 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 brace us for the harsh realities of the world or uncover the qualities that we need to work on. Although I was unable to fully 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. In studying all these parts, one begins to develop a line of reasoning. Exposure to these topics improves our critical thinking skills and creativity, resulting in the examination of multiple perspectives and objective evaluations. These are the very things that allow us to invent, improve current technology, and grow as a society.
Despite all this, I do recognize that PS 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. Nonetheless, 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, empathetic adults. After all, the term “humanities” is derived from the latin word “humanitas,” meaning humanity and kindness. These are virtues that allow us to become practical members of society, learning 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 empathy to express this kindness. 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 definitely help them grow past the indifference and solitude of this world.
Sincerely,
Naomi Guerrier