Action research transcends constraints of poverty in elementary ...

infinity as yet unborn, is dimly present. You feel that you arebeing looked at from the strangeness of the eternal. The infinitygazing out at you is from an ancient time. We cannot seal off theeternal. Unexpectedly and disturbingly, it gazes in at us throughthe sudden apertures in our patterned lives. (p.41)The following painting depicting a unique student in the center expressesmy understanding of how I hope to encounter the other:I now begin each class by telling my students I love them and before theyget too uncomfortable with the idea, I share Scott Peck’s definition oflove to explain what I mean. Love according to Peck is, “the will toextend one’s self for the purpose of one’s own or another’s spiritualgrowth.” (1978, p.85) Immediately, I see my students relax a little as theyprocess this definition of love. I wait a few minutes…often someone askswhat I mean by spiritual and then I explain that I use the term spiritualaccording to the definition bell hooks provides, “one who seeks to knowand live according to values that promote universal well-being” (2001,p.19). As a class, we identify trust and respect as values that willcontribute to the greater good and note that we feel trusted and respectedif we feel loved. I demonstrate trust and respect for my students when Iprovide them with opportunities to direct their own learning. In the past, Iwould select video clips and articles that I think will resonate with themand now I pass that task onto the students and facilitate their search bysharing sources such as Ted Talks, Vimeo, National Film Board (NFB),Youtube (including the uploads of former philosophy students)… andGoogle Scholar and other online portals for accessing print media.I invite them to peruse these sites and when they find something thatexcites them to email me the link. I review the link and then send themfeedback and usually invite them to share the link in class. The feedbackoften entails acknowledgment of their values and some probing questionsto help them unveil their embodied knowledge. To date, I have invitedevery student to share their results as I respect their individual values andchoices. Giving them this freedom and honouring their choicesencourages them to choose respectfully and to be mindful of theiraudience. I do not set a deadline for this invitation, with the exception ofthe end of the course; therefore, honouring the journey of the individual.Usually, students are encouraged by their peers and reluctant risk-takersbecome keen to share their discoveries.In the meantime, I share some articles and videos that challengetraditional status-quo thinking and introduce students to ideas likeunschooling, meditation and visualization, mindfulness, loving kindness,Eastern worldviews, Aboriginal teachings and holistic education to namea few. Essentially we embark on an exploration of discovery as co-