A Humanist

I have never considered myself to be a humanist before, but this term keeps coming up with philosophies and figures that I identify with (such as Sukhomlinsky, existentialists like
Søren Kierkegaard and Progressivism).  I decided to look into just what a humanist is and what they believe.  The online dictionary at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/humanist defines a humanist first as "a person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity.".  Upon further reading, I found that modern humanists generally deny the existance of God.  They are primarily concerned with humanity being on top (so to speak).  This isn't me.  I value very much my own personal relationship with God.  I then recalled Desidarius Erasmus.  He was a humanist who was also a key figure in the Reformation.  Though Erasmus was critical of the Catholic Church, he remained a Catholic and held on to the notion of free will (which I do as well, though I am not Catholic).

This led me to read up on Christian Humanism.  Christian humanism believes in social justice.  It roots itself in the concept of Imago Dei (that humans are created in the image of God).  Many prominent Christian Humanists are people that I relate to and admire, such as Tony Campolo, St. Francis of Assisi, and the current Pope Francis.  
 
So what does this mean for me as an educator?  I teach in the public school system.  I have never shared my faith with my students (nor do I plan to).  It is something that is very personal for me, that I even hesitate to write about now in this journal, knowing that someone else will be reading this (I try to keep any sort of religion or politics out of my professional life).  What I can say is that I have a heart for the marginalized of society.  This is where I relate to Tony Campolo who developed programs for 'at risk' youth.  As well, what I admire in Pope Francis is his heart for all of humanity and concern for the poor.  I am someone who sees value in all of humanity.  I particularly have a heart for special needs children.  I have worked very hard to be knowledgeable about different kinds of syndromes and diagnoses so that I can do my best in helping create and implement a relevant and meaningful program for my students who face those challenges in their education.

I also have a heart for the poor, having worked in some very poor neighbourhood schools.  I see education as being one of the catalysts in which the children from these neighbourhoods can better themselves, looking towards a future that is brighter than the dim cycles that their families are currently caught in (teenage pregnancies, high school (and even middle school) dropouts, drug and alcohol abuse,  and dependance on government assistance).  As an educator, I need to meet these children where they are at, dissect the curriculum and present it in a way that is meaningful and relevant to them.  This is no easy task when you teach in a community that finds little value in education and suspicious of teachers (and professionals in general).