"The challenge for democracy as the expression and attempted realization of this common faith is to find ways to harmonize the development of each individual with the maintenance of a social state in which the activities of one will contribute to the good of all the others." (Pg. 36)
No matter how hard we try to "all get along" there will be people and circumstances that will not allow this to happen. Trying to please everybody is virtually impossible. In a democracy we strive to create a society where everyone is equal, politically socially and economically. Communities try so hard with to do this with events they have and even though a community may take a few more steps forward, there are those who would still selfishly keep us back because of their biased thoughts and pride. That is not to say that these things we do are in vain. They most assuredly open eyes and get people thinking. Its still a goal we have, and as long as we don't stop reaching for our goals, we will succeed.
Respect is not something that can be demanded, it is something that needs to be earned.
3 comments:
Sarah,
Kudos for being the first (and only, at this point) poster. This goes along with my point from class, and what I'll be posting in a second. Not only is each student unique in his or her talents and interests, but in his or her perspective on a subject. Individual experiences play a huge role in creating context for a concept...therefore, as teachers, we must not only strive to accept the student's musical contributions but the whole student.
I agree with both of you on this topic. As music teachers, it may be hard to realize that it isn't all about music all of the time. Music is often just one small piece of the puzzle. As teachers, we must be open to everything our students have to offer, not just music related things. Individual experience is key to relating topics in the classroom to the students. If we do not do all we can to understand and relate to each individual student for who they are in every aspect of life, our job as a teacher becomes irrelevant.
I think the last line of your blog is the most important. We talk all the time about respect and how important it is in all of our relationships and in a community. Sometimes I feel we get "respect" confused with "attention". As future teachers and current students, I believe respect is something that we all need to keep close to heart. We may be paying attention to someone by listening, but if we truly respect them, we are understanding the meaning of what they are saying. It is important to remember that if we want respect from others, we need to first respect ourselves and stay true to our beliefs, but also respect the beliefs of each other even if they are different.
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