My Ishma<\/em>el<\/strong><\/a>, a GST 101 foundational text\u2014albeit briefly on the train, and re-learning and re-contemplating systems thinking, a pedagogical pillar of global studies, launched my brain (and heart) into a deep reflective and appreciative moment for the experiences I had in tom\u2019s classes and in Global Studies more broadly.\u00a0 I was thinking about my experiences in those classes, and the biggest things I\u2019ve taken away from them.\u00a0 I think there are probably countless lessons I\u2019ve learned, but three threads or themes stick out to me that were not only crucial to those classes but have actually been extremely influential and important in my life and work beyond college.<\/p>\nUnlearning<\/strong><\/p>\nMost likely, your entire life has been learning how to \u201clearn.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> You\u2019ve been in school for 13+ years, and probably know the system pretty well.\u00a0 You know what is expected of you and how to perform.\u00a0 It can be challenging at times, but there is comfort in this consistency.\u00a0 Write the thing, fill in the bubble.<\/p>\nWell, prepare for that to change now.\u00a0 Classes with tom king directly challenge everything you\u2019ve (most likely) ever experienced when it comes to formal education.<\/p>\n
As an eager first year student, walking into Global Studies 101, I had very little idea as to what to expect.\u00a0 I was ready to work hard, but the traditional schooling I had received had ill-prepared me for this learning experience.\u00a0 What I soon came to understand was that the way in which I had been taught before was\u2026well, wrong.\u00a0 I don\u2019t ever want to say anything is truly wrong, because Ishmael<\/em> taught me that there really isn\u2019t one right way to live, but I think there are ways to learn, to properly, truly learn, and I hadn\u2019t really had that experience.\u00a0 At least not in school.\u00a0 I learned a whole ton of shit on my own, just reading whatever I was interested in.\u00a0 But that\u2019s very different from school.<\/p>\nMy experience in Global Studies and with tom completely reframed my approach to learning and vocation.\u00a0 Although tom teaches across disciplines, the foundation of his pedagogy is the same: education\/learning is very different from schooling.\u00a0 You go to school to be socialized and learn how to give the answers that teachers want.\u00a0 Often, it feels more like you learn how to be, rather than how to learn.\u00a0 Learning and education are a deeper, multidirectional pursuit where you both absorb new information, but also co-create new knowledge.\u00a0 You are driven by interest, and often passion.\u00a0 There are no real experts.\u00a0 Just a roomful (but actually, why define learning by walls and borders?) or cluster rather, of individuals who want to know more, together.\u00a0 Understanding that is the first step on your potentially paradigm shifting journey.<\/p>\n
Storytelling<\/strong><\/p>\nWriting an academic paper for school is a great and necessary skill.\u00a0 But often, it\u2019s really not the best way to convey something. There is a true power to knowing how to craft and tell a story and you will get the opportunity to work on that in tom\u2019s classes.<\/p>\n
Imagine you have to convey to someone, anyone, the importance of a liberal arts education (the very one you\u2019re getting right now).\u00a0 A casual statistic, such as 82% of liberal arts graduates report that they feel more prepared to enter the work force than students who didn\u2019t get a liberal arts degree.\u00a0 Seems impactful.\u00a0 But also, imagine your best friend is trying to tell you why you should transfer to her liberal arts school.\u00a0 She isn\u2019t going to talk about the graduation rate or level of satisfaction with the food.\u00a0 She\u2019s going to tell you stories about her experience and why it makes her school special and worth going to.\u00a0 I honestly have no stake in liberal arts education, but it\u2019s easy to see how a powerful story can carry more weight than a bland statistic.<\/p>\n
When writing, be it for work, for school, or for a project like this, I often ask myself, \u201cWhat am I trying to say?”\u00a0<\/em> That is the first step.\u00a0 But the second question I ask is, \u201cWhat do I want my audience to feel when they read or hear this story?<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 Bringing people along for the ride with you can leave a much more lasting impact than a somewhat impressive statistic.\u00a0 Beyond convincing someone of your point, or the importance of your point of view, stories connect us on a deeper level.\u00a0 Which brings us to the last theme.<\/p>\nRelationships<\/strong><\/p>\nPure knowledge and independent learning can only get us so far.\u00a0 It is great to have and follow a passion, but it will never be as deep if you do not engage other people and other perspectives.\u00a0 One of the most powerful things I\u2019ve learned from my classes with tom, that I have carried with me in my work and plan to carry with me into the classroom, is that we all learn from each other together, and our lived experiences are valid perspectives that enhance the collective learning experience.\u00a0 Similar to the power of a well-crafted story, so too is the influence of the people you learn with and the connections you make.\u00a0 As I mentioned before, some of the best\/truest\/most influential learning involves co-creation\u2014a shared experience of knowledge consumption and creation.\u00a0 It is the people you learn with that often matter more than the thing you learn.\u00a0 I remember the people in my classes and the stories they told much more vividly than some of the journal articles we read and the papers we wrote.
\n—
\nThe non-profit organization I work for is all about mentoring.\u00a0 We pair high school students with college-educated mentors to try and help them navigate high school and eventually college.\u00a0 We are always talking about the impact a mentor has had on us, and why that experience has brought us and connected us all to the mission of the organization and the work we do each day.<\/p>\n
As you can imagine, I get the opportunity to talk about an influential mentor in my own life pretty regularly.\u00a0 And I always talk about tom.\u00a0 tom didn\u2019t just change the way I thought about the world and my own education (and honestly, my whole goal in life), but he fostered my own personal growth and was a constant sounding board as I struggled and figured things out.\u00a0 There is a moment, in my last year in college, that I\u2019ll never forget.\u00a0 It was in the spring, nearing graduation, and I was meeting with tom to talk about something related to post-graduation plans (the specifics are hazy).<\/p>\n
I said to tom, \u201cSo, I think I know what I want to be. I think I\u2019ve decided that eventually, I want to be a college professor. I want to teach<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 And, naturally, tom says, \u201cWell, duh. I\u2019m glad you finally figured that out<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\nThe remarkable thing is that he knew all along, even when I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 But he didn\u2019t tell me.\u00a0 He let me wrestle through it as I figured out all the other things you\u2019re trying to figure out before you finish college.<\/p>\n
The other remarkable thing is that I\u2019m doing it.\u00a0 I\u2019m teaching my first class at Brooklyn College this coming fall.\u00a0 And I don\u2019t think that would have been possible without knowing tom king.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be living my dream if I didn\u2019t have that staggering, eye-opening and, at times, overwhelming global studies 101 class or the powerful relationships and moving stories of my classmates.\u00a0 Going through a paradigm shift is no easy feat, but the struggle is worth it, and the rewards, personally and professionally, are infinite.<\/p>\n
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