Sharing Nature Articles and Activities

True Teaching is Sharing Vibration
by Joseph Cornell
 

In Sharing Nature with Children, I spoke of an important ingredient of good teaching-that a sense of joy should permeate the experience. In a joyful atmosphere, everything you teach becomes attractive to your students.

An outdoor educator once told me he used to think that the success of a nature hike depended on how sensitive and well-prepared the children were, but he said he'd begun to notice that whenever he felt inspired and full of wonder, the class-even difficult classes-always had a wonderful time. He said he'd noticed that whenever he wasn't feeling enthusiastic, no matter how good the group was, the hike was seldom particularly special. He said he'd learned that the teacher's inspiration is the central factor in creating meaningful nature experiences for others.

To communicate wonder, we must first have a spirit of wonder. A leader who is filled with wonder, joy, and love for the natural world draws out these good feelings in others. In the presence of such a leader, people eagerly want to experience these same feelings for themselves. Albert Schweitzer's student teachers once asked him to name the essential personal qualities of a good educator. Dr. Schweitzer replied that there are three: first: example, second: example, and third: example. An individual whose heart is filled with love and reverence for nature can make ecological attitudes come alive for others as nothing else can. The importance of our personal example shouldn't be viewed self-consciously, but should be taken simply as a responsibility to help ourselves, and to help others become more fully aware of their oneness with all life.

I have come to understand that the key to great teaching is personal magnetism-the enthusiasm and joy that we ourselves feel for our subject. The dictionary defines magnetism as "the power to attract, fascinate, or influence." As nature educators, we can develop our magnetism through our dedication and attunement with nature. The deeper our experience of nature and life, the stronger our magnetism will become.

There's a tendency in the field of environmental education and activism to worry about what others are doing. But our first priority should be to become what we want others to be. The more authentic we are, the more uniquely and magnetically we will speak, and our words will have real power. People often forget what we say, but they never forget the good feelings they've experienced in our presence. That's why the heart-qualities we express while we teach are so crucial. What we say is never as important as how we say it.

Henry David Thoreau said: "There must be the…generating force of love behind every effort destined to be successful." When a teacher creates a loving atmosphere, there is deep respect and authenticity between the teacher and the students. Everyone responds to love with openness. Only where there is the consciousness of love can the spirit of nature be expressed deeply. Before leading an outdoor class, it's a good idea to spend at least a few minutes by yourself, communing with nature, so that your teaching will be imbued with genuine enthusiasm and love. You'll find that after taking a few moments to feel calm, joyful, and loving toward nature, you'll treat people the same way.

There is a science and an art to teaching. After a teacher has learned something of the science of a subject, teaching increasingly becomes a matter of sharing vibration. Because bringing inspiration to our teaching is so important, I've developed a separate course that will complement our annual Sharing Nature Conference Retreat. The new course is called "How to Be a Creative and Inspiring Teacher." In this program, participants will learn many skills that will help them become more effective and influential educators. Like the Conference Retreat, the course will be held at the Ananda Village guest facility, The Expanding Light.

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