Education is liberation. Too often, we are spoken to in the language of “can’t.” There are too many reasons why we “can’t” do something:
“No, you cannot be a musician.” “No, you cannot be an astronaut.” “No, you cannot find non-capitalistic solutions to homelessness, hunger, poverty, or violence.”
The reasons for the “can’ts” are often burdened by a sense of ‘the way things have always been,’ threats to the status quo, and fear—”play it safe; this is how you make money and live successfully.”
These burdens can be convincing because our society has been raised by generations of ‘intuitive thinkers’ rather than critical and reflective thinkers. The latter challenges the status quo and drives us toward innovation and progress; the former relies on whether a thing ‘feels’ true, and too often that feeling is underpinned by fear leading to pattern repitition and innovative paralysis.
I teach because I believe the world can be better. I teach because I believe students get just one life to live, and therefore, I owe it to them to equip them with the best tools and strategies that will allow them to make the most out of that one life. I teach because students need to know that their one life is not lived in solitude but interconnected with the lives and the world around them.
No student should be forced to limit their aspirations for the sake of “financial security.” Have you seen the economy? Groceries have gone up by 25%, surpassing the average 11% inflation rate because of unchecked and unfettered corporate greed—financial security is an illusion.
I want my students to know they can change the world and steer us toward a more inclusive and equitable reality where community and people are seen through a lens of humanity rather than our current lens of commodity.
Education is liberation, and our students deserve the freedom to be the best humans they can be. They deserve to live fulfilling, meaningful lives they can be proud of.
This is why I teach.
Void Engineer 