For this project I was able to interview Ms. Natacha Altenor (a.k.a. Ms. T) who is a K0 teacher at Mission Grammar School in Roxbury, MA. I work alongside her and a few other students from Emmanuel from 3pm – 5:30pm on Tuesday afternoons at the elementary school’s after–school program. The students I work with range from three years of age to six years of age. When I first started this volunteer work, I immediately noticed the interesting dynamics between Ms. T and her students (scholars). It was not the typical teacher-to-student dynamic I have been so used to seeing between teachers and younger students. Ms. T instantly seemed much more engaged with the students and much more interested in their growth as scholars. Right away I noticed that
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T went on to mention that removing this child from her classroom helped shed light on the child’s preparedness for school and on what the specific issue the child had was that needed to be addressed before starting school.) James Claiborne, author of the novel, “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical” and a devout Catholic, agrees with Ms. T on her ‘turn the other cheek’ philosophy. Jesus taught that to live as a follower of Christ one must tackle every difficult, trying, and violent situation in life peacefully and non-violently. Like Jesus, Ms. T is in turn teaching her “disciples” or her scholars this important Christian ethic of responding to violence and wrongdoing through pacifism and peaceful resistance. In Chapter 10 of “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical,” Claiborne writes, “When hit on the cheek, turn and look the person in the eye. Do not cower and do not punch them back. Make sure they look into your eyes and see your sacred humanity, and it will become increasingly harder for them to hurt you” (Claiborne 279). Claiborne believes that to live as a follower of Jesus today we must oppress evil and violence not with the same evil and violence we are being oppressed with, but with kindness, love, and nonviolence. “Evil can be opposed without mirrored … oppressors can be resisted without being emulated … enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed” (Claiborne 280). Love and forgiveness are key, says Claiborne, when not only dealing with our friends, family, and loved ones, but with our enemies, haters, and
T went on to mention that removing this child from her classroom helped shed light on the child’s preparedness for school and on what the specific issue the child had was that needed to be addressed before starting school.) James Claiborne, author of the novel, “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical” and a devout Catholic, agrees with Ms. T on her ‘turn the other cheek’ philosophy. Jesus taught that to live as a follower of Christ one must tackle every difficult, trying, and violent situation in life peacefully and non-violently. Like Jesus, Ms. T is in turn teaching her “disciples” or her scholars this important Christian ethic of responding to violence and wrongdoing through pacifism and peaceful resistance. In Chapter 10 of “The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical,” Claiborne writes, “When hit on the cheek, turn and look the person in the eye. Do not cower and do not punch them back. Make sure they look into your eyes and see your sacred humanity, and it will become increasingly harder for them to hurt you” (Claiborne 279). Claiborne believes that to live as a follower of Jesus today we must oppress evil and violence not with the same evil and violence we are being oppressed with, but with kindness, love, and nonviolence. “Evil can be opposed without mirrored … oppressors can be resisted without being emulated … enemies can be neutralized without being destroyed” (Claiborne 280). Love and forgiveness are key, says Claiborne, when not only dealing with our friends, family, and loved ones, but with our enemies, haters, and