Teaching About Life and Experience: Students Inspiring Students
By CATHLEEN RICHARD
Teaching About Life
According to Dr. Hal Urban, author and adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco, “Our schools, for the most part, do a great job…. But there’s something missing in the curriculum. We don’t teach our students about life itself, about how it works or about what’s essential. Never has there been a greater need for that.”
“Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Inspiration” is a three-hour, undergraduate, intercultural humanities elective offered only to juniors and seniors at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. This course seeks to directly address these needs by focusing on bettering the human experience through the power of inspiration. When individuals become inspired, they are empowered with the desire to act. Through the examination of inspirational people, books, short stories, art, poetry, movies, music, quotations, children’s books, global and multicultural awareness, service to the needy, and meaningful purpose, the course helps participants to gain the understanding that inspiration can be found all around us on a daily basis and that acquiring and appreciating these resources propel human beings into bettering the quality of life. Controversy is an expected factor in the discussion of topics of this nature, which promote higher-order thinking. Respect is to be displayed at all times, as all students are expected to practice opinion tolerance.
Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Inspiration,” is offered by Nicholls State’s Interdisciplinary Studies Department with approximately 500 students. The main objective of the course is for students to develop independent lifelong learning skills. They also analyze and evaluate readings, conduct extensive research, analyze and evaluate reliable works, and create, write, and deliver compelling and persuasive documents to demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills. The goal is that students witness what Oliver Wendell Holmes theorized, “A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”
The course is taught with great success at Nicholls State and was designed through a collaborative effort between the department head and the faculty member who teaches the course. The department head comes specialized in English and philosophy, and the faculty member is specialized in English, curriculum and instruction, reflective learning, and e-learning. One course of 25 students is offered to a bricks-and-mortar class, and one course of 20 students is offered as an online course each semester, including the summer session. The entire class is seated in a circle, including the professor, to promote a non-threatening environment that promotes open dialogue. During assigned PowerPoint presentations, students are required to stand at the podium. The on-campus course is taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays for one hour and twenty minutes each class period. The professor discusses the week’s topic, reads and discusses whole or parts of related works, and/or presents topic-related information via the Internet during the first 20–30 minutes of class. Each student is then expected to deliver the week’s assignment orally, lead the class in discussion, and post a written reflection to Moodle. The course also requires five discussion board postings. A rubric is used to grade written and oral components of each student’s weekly assignment. No late assignments are accepted unless proper documentation has been approved by the professor.
Students are assigned to discuss their experiences of a Service-Learning project and to show pictures of them providing this service at the service site. They reflect upon the connection(s) they made between the Service-Learning opportunity and the content of the course; what effect(s) the service had on the community served; how the experience connects to their future coursework and career; the extent of their engagement in the service; and their view as to whether there is a need for providing humanitarian service in the learning process.
Andrew gave this account of his experience.
I was raised to understand that if you give, then you shall receive. If you ask it shall be given. I believe our Lord God did not put us here to just work and pass away. We are here to help others along the way as well. One of my favorite quotes from Les Brown says, “If you help enough people get what they want out of life you will eventually get what you want.” The service-learning project I did was a “Go to High School go to College” initiative that took place on Thursday, March 19th, at West Thibodaux Middle School where I was able to mentor children and let them know the steps of choosing a high school. I was able to talk to them about graduating from high school, applying to college, and finishing with a degree from a credible institution.
What I learned as a person through the act of giving is that you have to lift others as you climb, because that was the same thing somebody did for me. In order for my community to change we have to reach back and thrive. I’ve had positive influences reach back to my generation and my generation has to do the same for the next. Change is always needed in each generation. The key is seeing who is willing to reach back and sacrifice their time. Volunteerism will be a part of my life until the day I leave this earth. In the profession I have chosen, an educator, I will be giving back every day of my career. A key goal for me is if I can help 1 out of 10 every days for 25 years then they can do the same. Then a trend will be created into my community so we all can be successful. The areas that interest me most are young males. As I’m growing into a productive young man I will like to provide the same mentoring someone did for me. We have to teach our men right from wrong and all the key necessities they need in their life. As adults we tend to get mad at kids for not knowing common sense things, but if it was never developed or taught they are not in the wrong. Service learning ties into the objectives of this course because it helps you understand that in order to be successful you cannot do it by yourself. One day you will work for someone and you will be someone else’s boss. You have to inspire others and answer to others to get where you want to be in life.
Kellee gave her reflection.
I completed my service learning duties at the Wallace Community Center in Raceland, LA. The after school program, Beyond the Bell, first launched in early February of 2015. Every Tuesday and Thursday I attend this amazing program to be a positive influence to the children of the Raceland community. Monday through Thursday at 3:30 p.m. the children arrive by bus or car and they immediately start on homework. Afterwards, they take the time to relax and eat a snack. At around 5:30, they play until it is time to clean up at 6:15 and go home at 6:30.
Over the past few weeks, I have gotten the wonderful opportunity to see each and every child grow and become stronger and confident. By taking the time to help these children work through their homework, instead of just telling them the correct answer, I’ve watched them become less apprehensive about even getting their homework out of their backpacks. At first, they would whine and complain about it, however, now they enthusiastically say, “Ms. Kellee, can you help me with my homework?” They even argue about who will get help first. It warms my heart to see them so eager to learn. Now, instead of showing me their behavior charts, they run up to me with their report cards! I clearly see the progress that they have made. One little boy that used to hide his bad test grades from me now enthusiastically says, “Ms. Kellee, I got a B but don’t worry, I promise it will be an A next time.
Some of the children even prefer to curl up in the corner with a book instead of playing. Not only have they become better readers, but they have also become more intelligent when it comes to problem solving. I overheard a pair of students attempting to solve a rather hard math problem. One of the girls, that originally was not that strong at math, actually walked over to them and said, “Ms. Kellee is busy right now, but I can help you.” I listened as she patiently explained to them how to solve it. This made my heart swell with pride to know that I had something to do with their growth. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than to see progress and confidence improving. Due to my dedication to the program, I got offered an internship there, which I graciously accepted, as well as an article done about my work efforts at the center.
Tracy recounts her experience.
I did my service-learning project with the C.A.R.E Foundation in Baton Rouge. The C.A.R.E Foundation is a 501 c3 non-profit organization that specializes in careers, academics, recreation and exposure. On February 28, the C.A.R.E Foundation in partnership with the Gardere Youth initiative held a large back pack give away for under served students in East Baton Rouge. We were able to provide a free lunch and back pack to over 300 school age children in the East Baton Rouge school district.
When I came to the planning meeting for the back pack giveaway I was clueless as to how much work and planning that it would actually take to pull off an event of this scale. I learned quickly that it takes a lot of sacrifice and many donations to organize a successful event. I was able to draw on the many inspirational movies, quotes and poems that were shared in class to help me commit to the task and put my heart into it. In the process, I met Megan, an educator in Denham Springs and Laura, a recent college grad. I enjoyed being able to share some of the things I’ve learned about conducting surveys to help the planning team. It was great to see the time and effort that others are willing to invest in people that they do not know personally but care about. I know now that a little inspiration goes a long way.
This project is a great way to get students engaged with the many volunteer opportunities in their respective communities. The exposure to inspiration that students receive in IDST 420 can be used to inspire others through their volunteer work. I have already signed up to participate in the 2016 back pack give away as well as future C.A.R.E events.
Andrew, Kellee, and Tracy truly “got” the importance of inspiration from the course content; their personal experiences were invaluable. I am a teacher at heart who teaches with heart. When I witness the connection of self, subject, and student, it touches my heart. Isn’t that what teaching is all about?
References
Goodreads, Inc. (2015). Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. Quotes. Website: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34264-a-moment-s-insight-is-sometimes-worth-a-life-s- experience
Urban, H. (2003). Life’s greatest lessons. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. xx.
About the Author: Dr. Cathleen Becnel Richard, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, is in her twenty-second year of teaching at Nicholls State University, plus ten years in the Lafourche Parish Public School System as a teacher of English. She has also spent ten years promoting reading as the Library Associate for Children’s Services in the Lafourche Parish Public Library System. Dr. Richard teaches two courses, IDST 410 — Senior Seminar and IDST 420 — Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies: Inspiration. She has served as the Course Developer for IDST 305-Internship, as well as the IDST 420 course. In 2007, she earned the Excellence in Academic Advising Award at Nicholls. Her interests in education include academic advising, distance learning, reflective learning, and service learning.
CWI Institutes are Transformative Professional Development. learn more
© copyright 1995–2019, Community Works Institute (CWI)
All rights reserved. CWI is a non-profit educational organization dedicated
to engaging students and teachers with their local communities through integrated learning projects. We work with educators and schools across the U.S. and internationally.
email us about supporting your school or organization.
CONTENT USE POLICY All materials contained in this web site remain the sole and exclusive property of CWI, or the author as designated by arrangement. We strongly encourage re-publication, but we do ask that you properly credit, and then share your re-publication link with us directly. contact us
