CNN
MSNBC News

Lighting the Fire of Education
©  2007 - 2008  Richard J. Chandler    Saint Cloud, Minnesota   USA

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

- William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

The best teachers that I have studied under in many diverse subject areas, as well as my current music teachers, are the ‘fire-lighting’ kind. They teach by inspiring. Enthusiastically revealing knowledge as the most exciting of happenings, our best teachers have sparked our innate human curiosity, fanning it with relevant stories of the subject, supporting information and interesting facts!

Once that flame begins to burn inside of us, we have little use for playing the part of a passive pail, where our own flame may get doused. Instead, we too want to emulate our teachers, and go exploring a particular subject, now motivated by own curiosity.

It seems to me that Yeats is accurate in his description. The volition to learn is ‘caught’, most often from a living teacher. We as learners ‘catch fire’… perhaps starting out a little slower with some smoldering and then beginning to burn more brightly, now learning at a faster pace. Our flame may then have an opportunity to ignite others, who may be inspired by our excitement. We students become teachers and it spreads.

- Richard Chandler   

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

The Quality Of Friendship
© 2007 - 2008Richard J. Chandler Saint Cloud, MN

“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”

- Confucius (551 - 497 BC)

My wife Bonnett and I recently attended our class reunion. We were both struck by how       This Article Concluded Here 

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

What’s My Story? What Have I Learned? Where Do I Stand? Transforming Hindsight Into Foresight
© 2007 - 2008   Richard Chandler - Saint Cloud, Minnesota USA

“All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.”

- Federico Fellini (1920-1984)

“Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.”

- Rita Mae Brown (1944- )

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”

- Ansel Adams (1902-1984)

For me, all three of these quotations point to a common theme… How has reflection on our experiences and examination of our lives enabled us to stand with increased confidence in a more appropriate place, to create something better in the world?

This article continued here

~   ~   ~   ~   ~

   

eBay
eBay's Half.com
Shopping Sites
Richard Chandler blog
Natural Health, Massage
Yoga Insights
Self Development