“Education, if it means anything, should not take people away from the land, but instill in them even more respect for it, because educated people are in a position to understand what is being lost. The future of the planet concerns all of us, and all of us should do what we can to protect it.” 

―Wangari Maathai

 

“Our lives are a battlefield on which is fought a continuous war between the forces that are pledged to confirm our humanity and those determined to dismantle it; those who strive to build a protective wall around it, and those who wish to pull it down; those who seek to mould it and those committed to breaking it up; those who aim to open our eyes, to make us see the light and look to tomorrow [...] and those who wish to lull us into closing our eyes.”
― Ngugi wa Thiong'o

 

I open with quotes with two Africans whose scholarship and work is dedicated to re-asserting the humanity of African peoples, and who have greatly shaped my thinking about what education and learning should entail. I believe that we learn from a variety of teachers, both in formal and informal settings, and from nature. Yes, plants, animals and all other beings of the earth have lessons to impart to those who are willing to open their hearts, eyes, and ears. Now, let me tell you a little story…

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I was born and raised near a natural, indigenous protected forest in the Kenyan highlands. It was only because of the waters flowing from this forest that I did not have to walk for long distances to fetch water, a task expected of girls in my community. Water is a game-changer for any woman in Africa. If you spend several hours in a day looking for water, there will be no time left to dedicate to anything else, much less education. Luckily for me, we obtained access to piped water drawn from this forest just as I was about to turn five or six years old. I had just got a taste of what fetching water meant on one occasion and I clearly remember resigning myself to my fate. There was no point of having any dreams or hopes. But the water came and that changed everything! The most important factor is that this forest and its critical watersheds are protected through application of indigenous knowledge systems. There are designated regions in this forest in which elders perform sacrifices to appease Murungu/God. This is one of those practices that has miraculously survived the missionary and colonial assault. Coincidentally, these regions are set around springs and are absolutely out of bounds to all except the designated elders.

 

This system, therefore, protects critical watersheds, hence providing water for the community. I am a beneficiary of this forest. I am a beneficiary of this traditional custodianship system. I am a beneficiary of indigenous knowledge systems. Were it not for this forest and this knowledge system, I would probably not be here. I am committed to teaching and learning in the realm of environmentalism/conservation as informed by my personal experience, as well as my experiences working with diverse communities in Africa and beyond. I opened with this story because my teaching philosophy draws heavily on the power of stories. I believe that stories have the power to make our minds and hearts work together. I believe that students’ life experiences have given them knowledge and that they should bring these to learning spaces through stories and other forms of narrative. I also seek to emphasize the importance of multiple knowledge systems/ways of knowing. I am convinced that there is not one single way of being and the more students learn and embrace this, the better their learning and relationships with their colleagues will be. I engage with diverse forms of learning materials, unconventional guest lecturers (such as elders), and encouraging students to question intellectual orthodoxies.

 

My teaching philosophy draws heavily from the work and life of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai. Prof. Maathai emphasized that universities must align strategically with society and seek to resolve practical challenges that they face. She argues that education must be action oriented. With regards to environmental or other social justice issues, her poignant words are as pivotal today and for the future as they were during her initial efforts in sustainable forest management:

 

Those of us who have witnessed the degraded state of the environment and the suffering that comes with it cannot afford to be complacent. We continue to be restless; if we really carry the burden, we are driven to action. We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk (Maathai, 2007, p. 295).

 

I strive to instill the desire of rising up and walking among students. Education must transform thinking and inform our action and or interest in the struggles of others. I strive to create a friendly and supportive atmosphere in the classroom where students can learn from each other, and grow as people in diverse ways.  I believe teaching using visuals (such a cultural objects, music, videos, games, role plays) makes learning an engaging activity. The use of such materials encourages students to contribute content into the learning corpus, and engages in them in the process of co-construction of knowledge.  I strongly believe in the importance of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing history as a transformative learning process. Understanding that there is a historical precedence to present day challenges is critical to unpacking and seeking solutions to any problem in society. 

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I would want for my students to locate their present day situations in historical events, as a result of both human and inaction.I encourage students to work in groups for assignments in order for them to cultivate skills in collaboration, organization, time management, and conflict management.  In addition to the more conventional forms of assessment (e.g., term papers), I encourage students to present some of their assignments in the form of journal entries, in order to foster more personalized reflective thinking.  In a nutshell, I strive to create an engaging atmosphere where students can expand their thinking, their ways of seeing the world, a safe space for exploration of ideas, an atmosphere of genuine humanity.