This morning I am preparing for my course which I will teach over Winterim...January 2 through January 22, 5 days a week, 9:00AM to 11:30AM. The course I will be teaching is one I designed about 5 years ago and with which I finished my teaching spring semester of 2014. The course is entitled, Myths, Masks and Identity. It is under the art department banner and what we do is explore the connections between mythologies, and personal and cultural identity. We explore ancient classical, new world, contemporary and personal mythologies and identities through researching, reading, writing, dialogue and an arts integration component, making books and masks. It has been a very popular class which my students and I have enjoyed very much. I am looking forward to this January term with a small group of students, all seniors.
I have been reflecting on my career at Plymouth State University where I taught for almost 20 years in the art, education and interdisciplinary studies departments. For about 8 years I taught a First Year Seminar course entitled, Is Success Synonymous with Happiness? I engaged my students in reading, writing, dialogue, research and activities which supported their explorations of a critical thinking model for answering the question of the course title. So, for 15 weeks we thought about how to answer that question about success and happiness by exploring what the literature, research and testimonies of others had to say in defining and connecting the terms. A template for answering all of life's essential questions.
In one exercise I asked my students to discover what valid answers there might be to the question. Over the course of time, they submitted four valid answers...1) yes, they are synonymous, 2) no, they are not, 3) sometimes yes, sometimes no, and 4) I don't know. I accepted any one of those answers in a final paper so long as it was supported by research and reason. There is a fifth alternative that only one student in eight years gave me with a convincing argument. It was an alternative I was aware of and wondered over time if any of my students would ever come up with it. 5) What difference does it make whether or not success is synonymous with happiness?
The point of this discussion is that I always thought that was the most valid answer, FOR ME, and the more I live the new lifestyle that I began in September, the more the last answer rings true! It is really good to know how to explore, research and critically think answers to proposed problems by defining and connecting ideas and ideals, but, when all is said and done, the real importance is being able to experience life in the moment with flexibility, resourcefulness, compassion and understanding. Who cares whether or not that defines success or happiness? It is the living and doing that counts.
Best post! Happy new day every day all year.
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