“Teachers are our first line of defense”
FULL DISCLOSURE: I spent yesterday afternoon at a TeachRock.org workshop in Atlanta, where, in addition to a foray into a great curriculum, I received iced tea (could have had a meal), an “I Teach Rock” t-shirt, and a ticket to an absolutely kick-ass Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul concert, all for free, so, yeah, I’m biased.
As we were wrapping up our workshop yesterday, Steven Van Zandt (of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, of The Sopranos and Lilyhammer, of his own successful songwriting and performing career) stopped by as he does on every leg of his “Teacher Appreciation” tour to talk about music, to talk about curriculum, and to talk about teachers.
He praised those who serve in the military and all that they do, but then he said, “Teachers are our first line of defense.” Actually, he looked at us and said, “You are our first line of defense.” He said something similar at his concert last night.
Big words. Quite a challenge and an incredible responsibility. And, more than likely, if we parse the statement a bit, true.
Please know that from this point, the ideas are mine. I am not going to put words into Mr. Van Zandt’s mouth. He is a man of peace, of a universal soul, of the ways that music can connect all of us. But he did not elaborate on this statement he made several times. So I will.
As we approach $1 trillion in military spending and seek to build walls, rattle sabers, abandon treaties, impose sanctions, brag about who has the bigger nuclear button, fire missiles, spy and catch spies, fight cyber-wars all in the name of national security, the first line of defense is the teacher who can help students develop empathy so that they can understand how others feel and behave. It is the teacher who can help to demystify the world through science. It is the language teacher who uses how people in different countries speak to open doors to their cultures. It is the teacher who teaches collaboration, problem-solving, who assigns questions with no right answer and who seeks thorough proof from students for their positions. It is the reader of books who pushes students to seek out their own reading and, in doing so, to read expansively from many perspectives. It is the teacher who can show that what is happening today didn’t start today, started years, decades, perhaps even centuries ago, and that a good guy/bad guy dichotomy undermines just about everything.
Yes, if we can equip (not “arm”) students with skills like those, then we are indeed a safer country that acts or doesn’t through knowledge, skill, and shared input.
Rock on for that!
FOR YOUR PLAYLIST: “Out Of The Darkness” has become the concert closer for the Disciples of Soul tour, and with good reason. It’s a soaring anthem of regret replaced by hope:
I’ve lived my life trapped with trouble
Now it’s time to make a new start
I thought the only justice in this world
Came from an angry heart
Now I know there’s got to be love to protect us
But we can’t wait for it to come
I know there’s more to life than black and white
The sooner we learn, the sooner we’ve won
IDEAL LISTENING: Put this one on after a day of too much news, political or otherwise, let it fill you with adrenaline while you are out walking, and then go home to your family and what matters.
