Learning from the Past: Learn: verb. gain or acquire knowledge by study, experience or being taught.

Why is it important to study the past? What can the past teach? What is considered “past?” Yesterday? Decades ago? Earlier Centuries? Sometimes our progress can blind us to the wisdom our ancestors held or our elders still hold. What can we learn from people whose experiences are foreign to and/or far removed from ours?

Navigating the Present: Navigate: verb. to determine a path or course

The word determine is key. It puts the power in our hands to decide the course of a path that is directly in front of us. Educators are faced with challenges at every turn. How do we adapt to unanticipated issues? How do we negotiate the needs of the students before us? To current events? To timely concerns? Sometimes selecting texts or even the language we use can feel like we are approaching a minefield. What strategies do you employ or practices do you use to traverse that sometimes uneven terrain?

Shaping the Future: Shape: verb. to determine the nature of; have a great influence on

To what degree can we as educators determine or influence the future? Logically we know that our influence on students is tremendous, and we need to tread carefully about what that means. An improved future has a variety of renderings according to whom you ask. How do we carefully draw the line between teaching content that by its nature deals with conflicts, humanity and philosophical questions of right and wrong and imparting our personal beliefs? If our goal is to create students who will become capable critical thinkers and empathetic respectful citizens, we can’t go wrong. What lessons, experiences, units or texts can help shape a future worthy of our students and one they can be proud to be a part of?