Moments of Awakening: Chapter Seven

Moments of Awakening: Chapter Seven

Today is the last time I’ll be subbing for this class of eighth grade algebra students. I’ve been in their room a couple times a month as their teacher is on the School Improvement Committee that meets twice a month. The no child left behind law mandates that every eighth grader has to take algebra. Some of these students can’t even, multiply and divide. The work is beyond their level of knowledge. They can’t do it. I know how hard it is because I’ve been teaching myself by going through the eighth grade book lesson by lesson. It ain’t easy. The kids that can’t do it, that have given up, sit, do other work, write notes, or play get the substitute. I’m really strict with them, but they actually like me ‘cause I play around a little bit and even use to do a rap for them in the beginning of the year when I had more energy.

Anyhow, the last ten minutes of class is always the hardest time. The kids that can do the work are finishing up, the ones that can’t are bored to death. So, I spend the last ten minutes giving a lesson in higher consciousness. I call it a history of the sixties.

The first period kids are looking forward to my lecture today, so I start a few minutes early. “You know the most important thing I learned from the sixties is that there are two sides to man, the material and the spiritual. In school they teach to the material aspect. And that’s good. You have to support your body. You have to have a house, and if you decide to raise a family you have to support your mate and children. So, you have to find a way to support your self, the material side,” I tell them surprised a little at how they are paying such close attention.

“But there’s another side to man, to woman. You are more than your body, your material self. You have a spiritual, an inner self that can connect you to the cosmos, to higher levels of being. This also has to develop. The spiritual aspect, or essence doesn’t grow by itself. You have to work super hard to develop it and help it grow… Some religious teachers say that if you only develop your material side you miss the mark. That your life is meaningless…”

Dylan shakes his head no and raises his hand. “Just a minute,’ I tell him glancing at the clock and finding I have only a couple minutes left. “This is what I learned in the sixties. ‘Everything they tell you is a lie!’ Nobody knows what he or she is talking about. You have to go out and find it for yourself. The spiritual aspect of life is just as important as the material. And, to get in touch with your essence, you have to use an enormous amount of energy. You can’t do that now, because you waste too much energy. You have to begin to observe your self to see where the energy is leaking out…” I lecture and watch Mark turning his head from one arm to the other in a mock show of observing himself.

“Not observe your outer self as Mark is doing, but look at your total self, for instance, your negative emotions. This is one of the strongest forces in our lives, and no one ever sees that they are negative. You know what I mean; you come off with an attitude. I put your name on the board. Your get angry and shout out,’ What’s that for?’ I get angry and put a check by your name…”

I notice that Dylan is still waiting. “O.K. Dylan you had a question?”

“Yea, you said that your life is meaningless if you don’t reach a higher level. That’s not true. Your life can still have meaning. If you have a family and pass on your way of life through it…”

“Yea, you’re right Dylan. You can still live a good life without changing your level. That’s what’s called reaching the level of good housekeeper. You support your self and make a positive contribution to society. And, no one could reach a higher level if it wasn’t for this base of good intelligent workers. But, we were created to be more than just good housekeeper. Remember the model I gave you of a horse pulling your airplane? We don’t use ten percent of our potential. You can fly,” I tell them as the bell rings.

I give this basic lecture; of course it changes with each group of students, to all five periods of math. Even fourth period when I tell the kids that the last ten minutes of class will be my sixties lecture, and Jasmine calls out, “Why we have to listen to history. This a math class.”

“You don’t have to listen to history. Just do you math,” I snap at her. Screw you, I tell myself. I don’t have to waste my time with them. Let them sit and stare at the walls all period for all I care. But, I am conscious of my anger and use it to enter my subject with the class.

“O.K. it’s time for history,” I tell the students glancing up at the clock. “If you’re still doing math keep working, but don’t talk. Nobody talk. I wasn’t going to give you guys this lesson, ‘cause Jasmine hurt my feelings when she said. ‘Why do we have to listen to history in a math class?’ I had an attack of negative emotions, but I saw them and didn’t go with the feeling. Remember what I told you last week. It is always your fault if you are angry. Even if you slap me in my face it is my fault if I get angry and hit you back. Maybe you had a good reason for hitting me. I should ask you why you slapped me. Maybe I have been doing something really stupid. If I am conscious of my anger, I can always control it. It is just that most times we are not conscious…”

“Some dude hit me, I’m gonna wack ‘em,” Marcus tells us.

“Of course you will. You’ve been conditioned to act that way and so have I. You’ve seen me get angry and yell at you guys. Being conscious of negative emotions is not easy, and remember, I’ve been working at it for thirty some years…”

“Yea, how old are you, Mr. Daley? I think my grandma had you for a teacher…”

We got off the track a little. And I didn’t have enough time to get the students really involved, but it was a great teaching experience for me. And the strange thing is that the students really enjoyed it. One student even asked me if I could suggest readings on the subject. This is one of the great joys of teaching, to see students looking with wide-open eyes taking in every word you say.