Ihavepersonallycometounderstandthat“empowerment”isnotalessonthatcanbethoughtbywayoftextbooksorlectures,projectsorfieldtrips,andnotevenbywayofprinciplesandinspirationalteaching.Itmustbetaughtbypersonalexamples. Whenweaskourstudentswhocomefromdisadvantagedbackgrounds,orthose,whofaceapersonallifestylethatisindirectconflicttotheprinciplesthatweteach,wehavetobewillingtoshowthemhowtoovercomer,howtomakethetransitionfromonestateofbeingintothenext,howtobeempowered.Wemustmakethelessonofempowermentcometolife,inareal,up-doseandpersonalway.Andtheonlywaythiscanbedoneiswhenweallowourselvestobecomelivingexamplesofwhatweteach. PreparatoryschoolforGlobalLeadership(PSCL)isaschoolthatIstartedbecauseIbelievedthatIhadmethod,awayofteachingandlearningthatwouldempowertheurbandisadvantagedchild.ButasIsitbackandthinkaboutitnow,PSGLwasaschoolthatIstartedsothatIwouldshowcaseempowermenttoagroupofstudents(andstuff)whoneededareallife,exampleofhowtogrowbeyondone’scurrentcircumstance. WhenIreflectonmyjourneyofstartingtheschool,Irealizethateverystepalongthewaywaspersonallyteachingaboutempowerment.Itisonethingtoteachit,butitisanothertoliveit.Unlessweexperienceempowermentonapersonallevel,wecannothelpstudentslearnit,circumventobstaclesastheyariseanddevelopandemploythenewskillsneededtofunctiontobeempowered. Howcanwegetinthefaceofastudentandpushhimtoaplacethatisforeignandscary,askinghimtobecomegreaterthanhisenvironment?Wecan’t,why?Becausewedonotknowwhatitlackslike,wedonotknowwhatitfeelslike.Ourroleasateacherbecomestechnical,causingustomissoutonthespiritoftrulygoodteaching,whereoneteacheswithrelevancy,authenticityandexperience. WhenIlookatthefacesofthesestudents,Iknowthatmyprocessofstartingtheschoolwasforthem.WhenIbecamewhatItaught,whenIempoweredmyselfinspaceswheretherewasnoonetheretoempowerme,whenIchosetosucceedwithoutexcuses,Ibecamealivinglesson. Thesestudentssawmeandourstaffasextensionsofthelessonsweweretryingtoteach.Ourlives,notbyourperfection,butbyoureffort,showedstudentshowtoapplywhatwetaught. Whichofthefollowingcanberegardedasanecessaryconditionforteacherstoempowertheirstudents?
A.Having been successful in empowering students. B.Possessing the expertise in the subject they teach. C.Having received adequate training on empowerment. D.Beingabletointegratepersonalexperiencesintotheir teaching.正确答案D
