Latest / Be A Global Citizen! / 199. Ryan Hayashi: Persevering through hardships to reveal the humanity of students and teachers

Transcript

199. Ryan Hayashi: Persevering through hardships to reveal the humanity of students and teachers · Be A Global Citizen!

0:05
Hi there, and welcome to Be a Global Citizen, the podcast that
0:08
explores the concept of global citizenship through the lens of
0:11
value creating education. My name is Scott Bauer and I'm
0:15
Ahsoka, researcher and educator. I hope you find the discussion,
0:18
stories and insights on this podcast to be valuable and
0:21
inspiring as we strive to become global citizens who are
0:24
committed to living a contributive life.
0:26
Enjoy. Hello, thank you everyone for
0:34
joining. So my name is Ryan Hayashi.
0:37
I'm based out at Chandler, AZ currently working as a high
0:40
school math teacher. So doing that for the past 13
0:44
years at a couple different schools in southern New Mexico,
0:49
Mesa, AZ, now Gilbert, AZ. And so yeah, I'm in the
0:53
humanistic education again. I've been teaching mostly high
0:57
school, a little bit of middle school math, and also currently
1:00
studying in a doctoral program and value creating education for
1:03
global citizenship out of DePaul University.
1:06
So happy to be with you here today.
1:09
Well. I'm so happy to have you, Ryan.
1:11
Thank you so much for joining me on the podcast.
1:14
It's, it's, it's always wonderful to, to connect with
1:17
fellow teachers and also fellow graduates from not only, well, I
1:24
mean, soon to be DePaul University with your PhD, but
1:27
actually Soka University of America, where we both did our
1:30
undergrad. And I wanted to call out, you
1:32
know, we go way back, right to those undergrad years.
1:36
I was a first year student and you were a fourth year student.
1:39
And so you were like my senior and I'll say, you know, your,
1:43
your passion for, for, you know, education was very evident back
1:47
in undergrad. And you also had this incredible
1:52
talent and you know, like passion for, for spoken word
1:57
that always like impressed me and, and, and you still do that
2:01
to this day. I know you didn't mention that
2:02
in the, the short, you know, intro, but you know, you're just
2:06
a man of many talents. And I think, you know, you, you
2:08
bring that into the classroom as evidence of, of the humanistic
2:12
teaching that you, that you really, you really care about
2:16
the students and you, you bring your humanity into the class.
2:19
I guess that's what I'm trying to say.
2:20
So I'm excited to hear about like how you got so interested
2:25
in education in the 1st place. What led you to want to become a
2:29
teacher? And you know, teaching is not
2:33
for the faint of heart. I've heard from many, you know,
2:36
they'll start maybe first year, maybe they'll last up until
2:40
their second or third year and decide, no, and they quit or
2:44
they move on, right. And you know, you've, you've
2:47
been at this now for 13 years and you've been in various
2:51
different, you know, educational contexts, both public schools,
2:55
right? And now in charter.
2:57
So yeah, I'm you, you've seen a lot and I want to hear more
3:01
about that. So, you know, I'll pass it over
3:04
to you now, Ryan, to kind of share from however far back
3:07
you'd like to go. What What were some of the major
3:09
influences and some of the big milestones on your educator
3:12
journey? OK, yeah, sounds great.
3:15
Thank you so much for the opportunity and the
3:17
introduction. So, yeah, I mean, honestly, I
3:20
never wanted to be a teacher, never saw myself going down that
3:24
path earlier in life. It was really my experience
3:29
studying at SOCA, University of America that really sparked that
3:32
interest. And I'd always done well in
3:35
school growing up, elementary, middle school, high school,
3:38
gotten good grades, but it was another never something I was
3:42
like truly passionate about or that I really loved.
3:46
Just something that, you know, I did trying to do well and get
3:49
good grades in school, which I did.
3:53
But it was really a 10, you know, experiencing this, this
3:57
philosophy of education at Soak University that really changed
4:00
my life, honestly speaking. And yeah, I'd gone through a
4:05
really tough time in high school and it is some personal
4:08
struggles and and can got kind of got through that and an
4:11
opportunity to go to SUA. They offered me an amazing
4:14
scholarship, which was really clutch for me because my family
4:17
was really in a tough place financially.
4:20
And when I got there, especially my first year in my freshman
4:25
year there, the education system, the environment just
4:28
helped me blossom in my life in so many ways that it's difficult
4:33
to really put words to. But you know, some people may be
4:36
familiar with SUA. It's a very small school, a lot
4:39
of international students, and so just being there with so many
4:43
students from different cultures, different backgrounds
4:46
was very powerful in and of itself.
4:49
You know, all the students, the teachers, everyone has such a
4:52
very strong desire to use their teaching and learning to really
4:57
make a difference, really make the world a better place, to
5:00
contribute in some way to the world, which is not something
5:03
I'd experienced before. You know, there's so many people
5:06
who are really driven to make a positive change through what
5:10
they're learning and through their career, through their
5:12
their path. Of course, you know, I see it
5:14
here and there, but to have a whole environment where everyone
5:17
was on that same page was really so refreshing, you know?
5:23
Yeah. I mean, that built really strong
5:24
relationship with the teachers who really cared for us.
5:28
I really benefited a lot from the interdisciplinary approach,
5:31
you know, of the university studying many different things
5:33
broadly within the field of liberal arts, humanities.
5:35
And it's really starting to see the connections, you know, how
5:39
literature connected to economics, which connected to
5:42
history, you know, and how it's expressed in that, you know,
5:44
written word and even creative mediums.
5:46
And just seeing those connections really, you know,
5:50
help me broaden my worldview so much.
5:52
And of course, many other things came later, like studying abroad
5:55
in Japan, which that was a huge, beautiful learning experience in
5:59
and of itself. And even other opportunities
6:02
like extracurriculars, like we have this club called Hip Hop
6:05
Congress where we would do like open mics and held different
6:08
concerts. It's through that that I really
6:10
started writing spoken word poetry, writing hip hop music
6:15
and, yeah, just really finding my voice, my ability to express
6:18
my heart, you know, through poetry and music, which was, you
6:23
know, the first of my life, an amazing opportunity.
6:25
And so all that to say, that first year, my freshman year of,
6:30
of college at SUA really changed my life and I felt myself
6:34
tapping all these possibilities, capabilities as potentials start
6:38
becoming more confident in myself and making more friends
6:41
and confident in expressing myself through the poetry.
6:45
And, you know, finding a passion when I was learning for the
6:47
first time, not just being good at school, but actually really
6:50
finding it meaningful and, and that passion, you know, being
6:53
sparked. And so within one year, I just
6:55
felt like I just had developed so much this environment, this
6:58
education helped me grow so much.
7:01
You know, just just in that one year that I really sparked an
7:06
interest in education as a whole, and particularly in the
7:10
educational setting or, or philosophy that I experienced at
7:15
Soka University of America SUA. And so not only was I interested
7:19
in education, but I really got, you know, interested in Soka
7:21
education, you know, also referred to as value creating
7:24
education, specifically coming out of these Japanese educators,
7:28
Makaguchi, Toda and Ikeda. So we started delving into their
7:31
writings. You know, we had an education
7:34
club at that time, Soka Education student research
7:38
Project. We would study these things
7:40
together, discuss and even hold like academic conferences.
7:45
So these were like full scale academic conferences inviting
7:48
different scholars, educators, not only from California, but
7:52
across the country, even across the world.
7:55
They were international, you know, very professional
7:58
conferences run by all, completely by undergraduate
8:01
students. So it was a lot of work, but it
8:04
was just such a beautiful, always such a beautiful weekend
8:06
where everyone would come together, sharing different
8:09
experiences, teaching, learning at all different levels, and
8:12
really just trying to push towards this more progressive,
8:14
more, you know, humanistic style of education that can really
8:18
help people grow and develop in their humanity to create value,
8:21
to make a difference. And so that was a huge formative
8:25
experience, just participating in those conferences, meeting so
8:27
many educators from different walks of life, different
8:29
cultures from parts of the world try to just fuel to the fire.
8:33
And so, yeah, that's kind of what really sparked my interest
8:37
in education, my desire to become an educator, you know,
8:41
after graduation. And so that's what sparked it.
8:44
And then, you know, I could go on after that, but I don't know,
8:46
go on a pause there. Yeah, you know, I, I'd love to
8:49
just kind of just respond to to what you shared because it's
8:51
very evident that SUA was the foundation, right?
8:56
A, a big part of like, you know, what led you to the work that
9:00
you're doing right now. But you know, these formative
9:02
experiences that you you spoke about in terms of like, you
9:05
know, close relationships and friendships with faculty who
9:10
really believed in you and really nurtured your your
9:14
intellectual and academic interests.
9:16
Having this, this whole environment where people were
9:20
really committed to this, this mission statement that, you
9:24
know, is is very much present in alive at SUA of fostering global
9:27
citizens who are committed to living a contributive life.
9:30
You mentioned about a study abroad in Japan and then hip hop
9:33
Congress. So there's so much about, I
9:35
think the, the whole environment really kind of being attuned to
9:39
the one, you know, individual, the one student and how they can
9:43
truly tap into that vast potential that they have.
9:46
And all of that is congruent with the philosophy, right, of
9:50
Soca, these Soca progenitor is that you mentioned about
9:54
Macaguchi Toda and Ikeda. And, and, you know, I, I just
9:58
really resonated with everything you said because I, I had a very
10:02
similar feeling of like, wow, I received so much.
10:05
And, and then, you know, you, you didn't frame it in this way,
10:09
but I would imagine it would probably ring true that for
10:12
everything that you'd received, there's now this feeling of you
10:15
want to like, give it, give back in some way, right?
10:17
We now you, you're in a place where you really want to
10:19
contribute because of how overwhelming that, that feeling
10:24
is of like, wow, you know, people are really taking care of
10:27
me. People are really looking out
10:29
for me. People see my potential even
10:32
when I think as young people, we don't see it fully ourselves.
10:35
And that's always, I think the struggle.
10:38
But, you know, I wanted to maybe ask a little bit more about the,
10:43
the, the student teacher relationship.
10:44
And I also wanted to ask about the, the, the, the club scene
10:48
cause hip Hop Congress is like such a big piece of it.
10:51
And I had mentioned it even earlier because I was, I said,
10:54
wow, you know, I, I was, was inspired whenever you'd get up
10:57
onto the mic and then you share like a spoken word.
11:00
I feel like, yeah, those, those two would be really great
11:03
examples. If you can maybe speak in a
11:05
little bit more detail, that would be really great.
11:08
Like how, how do those two things, that student teacher
11:11
relationship and the the club scene allow you to really
11:15
understand what humanistic education is all about?
11:19
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, I mean, professors
11:23
were really incredible. I think part of it is just the,
11:27
you know, really small size of the school, no student to
11:30
teacher ratio And other friends went to other colleges where,
11:33
you know, you're in a lecture hall with hundreds of other
11:36
students, Professor may not even know your name.
11:39
You definitely haven't don't have any type of personal
11:41
connection. So yeah, I mean, I think it's
11:44
part of of the virtue of being a small school.
11:48
Yeah. Being in these classes with
11:49
10/15/2020 five people, everything is very discussion
11:54
based, dialogue based. It's you're not just memorizing
11:57
some facts for a test, but you're really pushed to share
12:00
what you think you know, your opinion, your point of view,
12:04
back it up with evidence, you know, and you're hearing other
12:07
points of view, other interpretations, people from
12:10
different backgrounds or culture sharing there.
12:12
So it's really a genuine dialogue in which you're really
12:15
able to pursue a question or topic through many different
12:20
lenses, perspectives, you know, hearing so many people's voices
12:24
led by the professor or something.
12:25
Even just that in itself, the small environment, the focus on
12:30
one to one small group dialogue, to me, there's nothing I can
12:34
compare to that. And then, of course, you know,
12:37
the, you know, I was building these, you know, amazing
12:39
relationships with professors. They knew who I was.
12:41
They knew what I was passionate about, you know, meeting with
12:44
them one-on-one. They're giving me personal
12:45
feedback on my thoughts, on my essays, on my writing.
12:50
And, you know, so many of them truly, truly cared, you know,
12:53
even inviting us out, you know, serving as tea as we're talking
12:56
about Chinese literature or, you know, maybe at the end of the
13:00
term or, you know, some huge project, you don't even inviting
13:04
class out into their home or, or, you know, you know, just
13:08
just really doing whatever they could to support and care for
13:10
us. I think, you know, that's just
13:12
just something that's rare these days, you know, educators who
13:16
truly care to that level and, and truly make effort to make
13:18
that type of, you know, 1 to 1 connection.
13:21
So that really helped. And and yeah, these individuals
13:23
were just super passionate, drawing connections across
13:26
disciplines, just really inspiring, really inspiring
13:29
individuals in terms of their, you know, pursuit of learning.
13:33
So that was a huge influence for sure.
13:36
And yeah, in terms of the club scene.
13:39
So yeah, I think as I mentioned, you know, Hip Hop Congress, that
13:41
was big for me. I mean, all these, you know,
13:43
clubs are student LED and yeah, you know, I love open mics, I
13:48
love hip hop music, I love spoken word poetry.
13:51
And so I have an opportunity to kind of lead something like that
13:53
on campus to have these events. You know, it's, you know, we had
13:57
so much talent, so many students were super talented.
13:59
So those events were just always so enjoyable, such a beautiful
14:03
way for everyone to really refresh their spirit.
14:05
And we got a lot of support, you know, we got a lot of support
14:07
from the university, different funding this and that.
14:10
So we've been able to have larger scale events, bring in
14:12
different hip hop artists from time to time.
14:14
We threw really one really big successful event as well in
14:18
terms of the hip hop. And yeah, you know, I think I
14:20
spoke a little bit about the SCSRP as well.
14:23
So education, student research project.
14:25
And so yeah, it wasn't one thing, you know, it wasn't one
14:28
thing. It was just a combination of all
14:30
these different aspects of the environment, individuals, the
14:34
relationships, the one, you know, the small, you know, the
14:37
small nature of the school, meeting people, talking to
14:40
people, you know, hanging out, doing sports, hanging out,
14:45
having fun on the weekends with people from different cultures.
14:48
I think there's just so many aspects of that environment that
14:51
really helped me grow. So it's kind of like a very
14:54
holistic educational experience, I would say.
14:58
Yeah. Thank you so much.
14:59
Ryan, what you just shared, the way you described it, it sounds
15:03
like that that would be a that's like the culture of care pretty
15:07
much like kind of kind of summing it up, right, Because
15:09
it's never just one thing, but also there's this through line.
15:13
I think that care like really focusing attention on, on the
15:18
student, what their interests are, that that is really
15:22
important. Trying to bring that out.
15:24
So, you know, you what one question that I have, though,
15:27
because like, you know, all of this is like bound by like the
15:30
mission statement, which which is fostering global citizens.
15:35
But you know, was this something that like you thought about
15:38
while on campus actively in terms of like, Oh, I know what a
15:42
global citizen is. And, and did you have the
15:45
confidence in saying, yes, I am a global citizen because I, I
15:50
find, you know, with my own experience, it was like it was
15:53
always a question mark, but there was always some doubt as
15:56
far as like, I don't know, maybe not yet, maybe when I'm older
15:59
kind of kind of thing. How did, how did it land with
16:03
you when you were a student there?
16:04
And what about like the kind of progression from like entering
16:08
in as first year to then as a fourth year student?
16:11
Did that conception of global citizen change?
16:16
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I honestly, I don't
16:19
think like it was, I don't think it was that conscious or
16:24
something on the top of my mind. I don't think I was ever asking
16:27
myself like, am IA global citizen or am I living up to
16:31
this? I mean, there's times we talk
16:33
about it, you know, the concept and stuff like that.
16:37
But yeah, it's for me it was more like a subconscious,
16:40
implicit, gradual thing where I was just trying to grow, develop
16:45
and expose to these different students from different
16:47
cultures, going to different events with different cultural
16:50
performances, learning different things in different classes
16:54
about different parts of the world, different histories of,
16:58
you know, different parts of the country.
17:00
Especially study abroad, going there, you know, just learning
17:04
another language, being in another country in and of itself
17:08
is just such an eye opening experience.
17:10
You know, just traveling in general, especially if you're
17:13
living there for three to four months, you know, and just
17:16
exposed to completely different worldview, mindset, perspective
17:21
on life, culture. It's the way that people view
17:23
the world, live their lives. Just Japan is so different than
17:27
the United States. So it's more just like I was
17:31
going through those things experiencing and all that was
17:33
helping like me grow, help me push my ideas, challenge my
17:37
ideas. Again, exposed to different
17:39
perspectives, developing it. So I don't think it was like a
17:42
conscious thing of like, I want to be a global citizen or am IA,
17:46
yes or no, or have I reached it? I don't think I really honestly
17:49
ever thought about those questions, but I do think it was
17:52
happening very naturally, maybe without even thinking about it,
17:56
just through all of those opportunities and experiences.
18:01
Yeah. Thank you for that, that very
18:03
honest reflection on it because, yeah, it just kind of became
18:07
like the the water that was all around you, right.
18:10
And all of these kind of like nutrients through the
18:12
experiences that you had and kind of being able to cultivate
18:17
a deeper sense of appreciation, I would say, right.
18:20
Of like, wow, I'm able to go on a study abroad to Japan and, and
18:23
experience something like this or wow, I'm able to take the
18:27
lead in organizing a conference about something I'm really
18:29
passionate about, like Soca education and, and being able
18:33
to, to see the effects that that has on, on the community, right.
18:37
Knowing that you're contributing to that community in a way.
18:40
Yeah, it may be the point wasn't to kind of put labels on it or
18:44
to make it overly intellectualized, But through
18:47
that process, just growing as an individual, maybe that was the
18:50
whole idea because I I felt very similar to and just kind of not
18:55
really knowing, but definitely having this sense that like so
18:59
many things are shifting in my life and and I'm growing at A at
19:04
a rate that I hadn't anticipated before.
19:06
And and then, you know, we, we go through these four years,
19:11
that wonderful years, I would say for myself.
19:13
And then also from what you shared, you know, it was really
19:16
positive and very foundational. And then we go out into the real
19:20
world. So this kind of like, you know,
19:22
bridges now, like the the the story of like, OK, from setting
19:27
off, you know, on this like platform launching into like the
19:31
next steps in terms of like starting your career.
19:35
Could you maybe share like how, yeah, the reality of like what
19:40
you experienced as far as silk education at SUA contrasted or
19:45
maybe was similar to other educational contexts that you
19:48
found yourself in as a teacher? Yeah, yeah, I was a stark
19:53
contrast at first. That's to be, that's real.
19:56
So, yeah, I mean, you know, I decided to do this program
20:00
called Teach for America, which, you know, selects recent college
20:04
graduates who've done well and gives you a short training and
20:07
place you in a very difficult high need community, which is a
20:11
program that's actually quite controversial.
20:13
And many people are against it, to be honest.
20:16
So my experience was I did it, I had this one got accepted, you
20:22
know, through a lot of challenges that happened along
20:23
the way. Somehow I actually should have
20:26
been. Dismissed it all three levels of
20:29
the interview process but something crazy happened all
20:32
three times so somehow I got accepted even though I shouldn't
20:35
have and I got this one month training in like Phoenix, AZ.
20:43
It's a crash course, how to be a teacher.
20:46
And you know, my intention, my prayer was really to go to a
20:50
place where I could really contribute the most.
20:52
Going back to what you mentioned earlier, I think because I've
20:54
received such an amazing educational opportunity that
20:58
changed my life, opened so many doors and avenues in my life.
21:03
On a full ride scholarship when I, my family had no money, I
21:07
really felt a lot of appreciation.
21:09
So my intention was basically to repay my debt of gratitude,
21:13
everything I'd received, to be able to really pay it forward,
21:15
pay it back, and put it simply, to give other young people the
21:20
same type of educational experience that I had received.
21:25
So that was my intention. That was my determination.
21:28
And so that's why I was really, you know, praying and hoping
21:32
that I, you know, can go to a place where I could really
21:34
contribute the most, you know. And So what happened was I got
21:41
placed in southern New Mexico. I got placed in the subject of
21:46
math, even though I wanted to be an English teacher.
21:48
I studied humanities. I was all about literature,
21:51
poetry, philosophy, but they had a very high need for math
21:54
teachers and I had scored high in the math test.
21:57
So they asked me to support with that, which I didn't really want
22:00
to do at first. But you know, I talked to, you
22:03
know, someone I respect and they encouraged me like, why don't
22:06
you use everything you've learned in the liberal arts and
22:08
humanities to connect it to math, to teach math in a way
22:12
that's a little bit more meaningful or, or, or create a
22:15
different approach. And so I decided to go down that
22:18
path about 13 years ago and it was originally placed in
22:23
southern New Mexico, which at the time was like ranked 50th
22:26
out of 50. It was like the lowest last race
22:29
ranked state in education due to a lot of the poverty and funding
22:33
issues. It was like in southern New
22:37
Mexico, right along the border with El Paso, TX, Ciudad Juarez,
22:40
Mexico. There's a lot of issues with
22:42
poverty, just a lot of challenges in the community,
22:45
challenges with immigration is right there on the border,
22:49
poverty, just a lot of drug gang issues.
22:52
Of course, many positive aspects of the community as well.
22:54
Beautiful, beautiful culture and community, but definitely some
22:57
serious challenges. You know, just honestly speaking
23:01
nearby and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico had been like a side of a major,
23:05
major side of the Mexican drug war just in recent years.
23:09
When I got there, it'd be, had been the most dangerous city in
23:13
the entire world. And I think it was 2010, a lot
23:17
of murders, a lot of crazy stuff going down South.
23:19
Most of my students were immigrants whose families had
23:23
fled from that type of drug violence.
23:26
So, yeah. And then and so is a lot of
23:30
struggles in the community. And so I got there.
23:35
I was placed in an alternative high school.
23:37
So this is for the basically a school where all the kids and
23:40
the other three major high schools in the school district
23:43
who got kicked out for drugs, gangs, fighting down too many
23:47
classes, dropping out, teenage pregnancy, having a baby, all
23:52
these different personal struggle, you know, were sent to
23:54
my school. And so these kids, this was like
23:57
their last kind of chance at life, last chance to have a
23:59
chance of graduating from high school, going through lots of
24:02
different challenges. And it was just really intense.
24:06
And but was was was surprising to me is actually the students
24:09
were actually wonderful. I mean, yeah, they, they were
24:12
rough around the edges, you know, like some horror stories
24:14
with them as well, you know, but it was actually the adults who
24:19
were the most disappointing and horrible people.
24:23
Yeah. You know, I don't like to judge,
24:25
but I mean, just honestly speaking, you know, my, I got
24:28
there. My, it was my, it was me and one
24:29
other math teacher, you know, my mentor teacher.
24:32
And he just, you know, it was this guy who's just super racist
24:35
and talking about how, you know, these kids are all just
24:37
Mexicans. They're never going to amount to
24:39
anything. They come from these shitty,
24:41
broken families. They're all just drug addicts.
24:44
They're never going to get anywhere in life.
24:45
And that was like my, you know, training one O 1.
24:48
So, you know, you know, I had no textbooks, I didn't have a
24:52
whiteboard and no resources how to make everything from scratch.
24:59
And you know, to add to that, what was happening at the time,
25:03
which came out later, was that in the next school district
25:06
over, El Paso, TX came out that there's this huge cheating
25:10
scandal. But it turns out it wasn't the
25:12
students who were cheating. That was the principals and the
25:15
Superintendent. So what happened is that if they
25:19
raise their test scores, the Superintendent got some crazy
25:23
like $50,000 bonus or something, I don't know the exact amount.
25:28
And So what he would do is he would pressure the principal.
25:32
What they would do is they would like force kids to drop out.
25:36
So the kids with the lowest scores, special education
25:39
students, English language learners, you know, they just
25:45
pull some shady things to make you fail or, or get you in
25:49
trouble to just just make you drop out, kick you out, expel.
25:52
And that artificially raises the test scores because if you kick
25:56
out all the kids with low scores, then your average goes
25:59
up. And so lots of schools were
26:01
doing this in El Paso and the Prince, a lot of principals were
26:05
down with it. And we're doing it, too, because
26:07
they got bonuses and the Superintendent was pressuring
26:10
principals to do this. And if you didn't do it, you
26:13
basically got fired. And this came out later, a few
26:17
years later. I know it's true because one of
26:19
my very close friends was pressured to drop out of high
26:21
school and never graduate high school because he was forced to
26:24
drop out, Still struggling to this day financially just
26:29
because of those opportunities that are taken away from him.
26:31
So yeah, I mean, that's, that's just kind of, you know, coming
26:37
from SUA such a beautiful, idealistic, incredible education
26:41
where it's just like ideal, beautiful, change my life to
26:44
really the reality of the worst. And the worst was definitely a
26:48
wake up call, you know, stark reality.
26:52
And so anyway, I just did my best moving forward and
26:55
anything's happened after that that really helped me grow and
26:58
and develop. That's kind of just like the
27:00
start of I've just seen that stark contrast, you know?
27:03
Wow, I don't think it can get more stark than than that,
27:07
honestly. Thank you for really like laying
27:10
it out and, and describing just, yeah, the what, what was kind of
27:14
on your, like your on your plate, like what was kind of
27:17
the, the before you. Because I don't think a lot of
27:20
people would be able to go through that.
27:23
And I, I, I would imagine it probably would scare off most
27:27
people because there's either just how daunting of a task it
27:31
is or just the lack of support right in the way you describe
27:35
your mentor teacher. That is not someone who
27:38
particularly wants to be there in the 1st place, let alone
27:42
like, you know, support a younger teacher and guiding them
27:45
through what is a very difficult profession, being a teacher.
27:50
And and that's a whole another conversation about like, what
27:53
does it really mean to be a good teacher?
27:55
Maybe, you know, we'll get into that a little bit later.
27:58
But yeah, like, so I you're still a teacher.
28:02
So obviously, you know, you, you weathered the storm, but was it
28:06
about just kind of getting through it or you know what,
28:09
what was the outcome like before you left?
28:12
Because you're not, you're no longer at that school.
28:15
So I'm just curious like, like, yeah.
28:18
So what did it take to to be able to like, grow as a teacher
28:23
amidst A seemingly kind of like, impossible, you know,
28:27
environment that is, you know, by all accounts just not set up
28:32
to succeed? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:35
It was tough, especially the first year or two.
28:37
I was really struggling each and every day.
28:40
So the Max, you know, first year teacher in any context is
28:44
extremely difficult. You can ask anyone who's an
28:46
educator and they'll confirm that.
28:50
And especially, you know, with very little preparation.
28:52
Again, it was just one month crash course, especially when
28:56
you're in a very difficult circumstance like that, where
28:59
the students are, you know, you're trying to teach them
29:01
algebra one or geometry, but they're, you know, like a fifth
29:05
grade math level, you know, So there's, you know, of course,
29:07
many challenges. But yeah, I think, you know, the
29:11
first year was just getting my bearings on the basics skills of
29:17
teaching, especially classroom management.
29:21
So I realized, like, it doesn't matter how great your lesson is,
29:24
if no one's listening or you don't know how to deal with, you
29:28
know, misbehaviors or and stuff like that, then it really
29:32
doesn't matter. So I mean, the first year I
29:34
really had to learn how to manage a classroom, you know,
29:37
which is a whole skill in of itself.
29:39
You know, how to call things out when they're wrong in a
29:43
respectful way, providing consequences And, you know,
29:47
being warm but firm is a whole skill and of itself.
29:51
Sounds like the first year, you know, after that, you know, And
29:54
through that process, I realized, like, even though I
29:56
couldn't really blame my students, I realized what was
29:58
happening in my environment was a reflection of myself.
30:02
So yeah, I mean, they're going absolutely crazy.
30:03
But it's because I didn't know how to manage a classroom.
30:05
So, you know, I'd take some ownership and really just try to
30:08
Polish my own skills. Eventually that improved.
30:11
And then and then it kind of got to the content where I'm like,
30:14
hey, this kid told me the only reason he comes to school is
30:18
because this is the one place where he can get his one meal
30:20
for the day. I'm trying to teach him about,
30:22
you know, graphing linear equations and slope and this and
30:26
that. So who's this?
30:28
I, I had originally taught just math the way I was taught this
30:32
very, you know, direct instruction going to give you
30:36
the facts. I'm going to show you how to do
30:37
it. Just repeat it, follow the
30:39
procedure. But it just wasn't working.
30:42
The students had already failed in a traditional academic
30:45
setting. Yeah, it just wasn't.
30:48
We're not only was it not working was not meaningful to
30:51
them and it wasn't meaningful to me to a point where I'm like,
30:54
why am I doing this? Why am I teaching kids this
30:57
abstract math when they're struggling to just survive?
31:01
Your mom just got deported. Like, you know, I lost my sense
31:06
of purpose for a minute. But you know, just trying to
31:10
move through that, keep growing, keep building relationships with
31:13
my students. My Buddhist practice helped me a
31:16
lot, You know, just being a high life condition, mind, stay
31:21
positive perspective each and every day, which was a battle.
31:23
But eventually I started actually experimenting with
31:25
different teaching methods, different curriculums, trying to
31:31
implement silk education, value creating pedagogy.
31:33
In my lessons. I also found a lot of concrete
31:38
examples in the field of social justice math, which is an
31:41
approach in which you're teaching students to use math
31:43
concepts as a tool to analyze that issue, social issue or
31:48
social justice issue. And once I started like doing
31:52
creative things, different activities, incorporating
31:55
videos, applying it to real life things that they had
31:59
experienced, and a lot of just experimenting with a lot of
32:02
different creative approaches, things really started to change.
32:07
For example, one project we did which was maybe a little bit on
32:10
the edge was a Mexican drug war project.
32:13
So they basically use linear equations, tables, graphs,
32:18
equations, etcetera. Made all those things to look at
32:22
the topic of the murders in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, resulting
32:28
from the Mexican Drug War. And, you know, so now it's not
32:34
just like numbers on a chart, but it's like some of these were
32:37
like their own, like cousins or uncles.
32:40
So it was a little heavy, you know, it was a little tough.
32:41
But like they had so much background knowledge on the
32:44
topic because they had lived through it that they're the ones
32:47
teaching me of like, Oh yeah, that's why the graph is going up
32:51
because that's when the Mexican government sent in the military
32:54
and then it went down because one cartel basically defeated
32:57
the other cartel took over. So like, you know, they're they
33:02
brought their own funds of knowledge, which was interesting
33:04
and it made it relevant, made it meaningful.
33:08
Like they got into it and also made it interdisciplinary
33:12
because now we're looking at the how the math relates to history,
33:15
social studies, social issues. They're reading about it,
33:19
writing about it. And so they're able to really
33:21
draw connections, which to me is a big part of what SILK
33:25
education or global citizenship education is, is really drawing
33:28
connections between a lot of different things.
33:31
So, yeah, once I started trying creative stuff like that, it
33:34
really helped and also did my best to really get to know my
33:38
students, what they're going through.
33:44
Yeah. I mean, you know, sometimes I'd
33:45
even visit. There's a couple times I've been
33:47
visited at their home just to meet them, their parents.
33:49
And it's like some really rundown trailer in the middle of
33:52
nowhere. And it's like, you know, just
33:54
like perspective, you know, these kids are really strong and
33:57
really going through a lot. So tell me understand a little
33:59
bit more where they're coming from so I could really support
34:01
them. The last thing I'll say is,
34:03
yeah, it was tough. It was tough.
34:04
But, you know, through all that, I was able to weather the storm.
34:06
And I think the criticism of Teach for America are valid to
34:11
some extent because even though there's 25 of us in southern New
34:14
Mexico, after 5-6 years, I was like the only one maybe out of
34:19
two. I think I was the last one that
34:22
was still teaching after five years.
34:23
So, you know, which I get, I don't blame my colleagues.
34:28
Like, it was hard, you know, being thrown in a very difficult
34:31
situation with little preparation.
34:32
Like, I don't blame them for leaving or quitting.
34:35
Like I'm kind of set of, you know, not really set for
34:37
success, you know, to be thrown in a very difficult and possible
34:41
situation. But I was either one, maybe one
34:45
out of two, one or two out of 25 that can, you know, was able to
34:49
survive, keep going after five years.
34:50
And once again, I really credit that to the training, the
34:54
incredible training I received at SUA.
34:59
Thank you Ryan for for sharing that.
35:01
It, it's, it's just evident that you persevered through that,
35:06
that storm. But I find it's it's it's really
35:11
I, it's just. Really insightful the way you.
35:13
Spoke about like these kind of stages right from like year one,
35:16
like first year teacher, right and then kind of just being
35:20
completely, you know, and like this chaotic kind of environment
35:23
of what's going on. There's this frenzy of like, you
35:27
know, students doing this and that and, and then just kind of
35:30
really getting to like the basics of like, OK, what do I
35:32
need to address first? Right, Classroom management.
35:36
But these things take time, just like it takes time to be good at
35:40
anything. And then kind of building those
35:42
skills to then really start to like lean into like, what are,
35:46
what are my students kind of like, what, what are the current
35:49
realities of like the way that these students were taught in
35:51
the past. Traditional education failed
35:54
them, right? And it was not going to work.
35:57
You know, you can't force it down any further than what it's
35:59
already been. And, and then kind of picking up
36:02
on that because I think also it's about pattern recognition
36:05
as a teacher and understanding the environment that you're in.
36:10
And then from there, you, you were talking about this
36:12
creativity that was starting to kind of emerge and pick up steam
36:16
of like, hey, you know, these, these students know a lot
36:20
already and, and how can we draw on that and make it meaningful?
36:23
And I think that's a keyword meaningful and making it
36:27
relevant and having them understand that they, they have
36:31
a lot to, to teach you as well, not just you having a lot to
36:35
teach them. And that I think is a really
36:37
critical component to building strong relationships,
36:41
understanding that there is going to be a give and take and
36:44
it's gone. It's going to come from mutual
36:47
respect, but that kind of respect and trust is built over
36:51
time as well. Because it's not like you just
36:53
step into the classroom and they're just like, this is this.
36:57
Is our guy, you know? Especially when it comes to, you
37:00
know, through like a program like Teach for America where
37:02
they are sourcing students from all across the country and, and
37:08
oftentimes it's not the community where they themselves
37:11
grew up in. So of course, you know, these
37:14
students have, you know, they're, they're completely
37:17
justified and having great suspicion and skepticism about,
37:21
you know, these new teachers who are just fresh out of college.
37:25
But you know, it, it's, you know, you, you, you spent, what
37:28
was it 5-6 years at that, that particular, you know, school
37:34
and, you know, you grew so much. And, and I'm just wondering
37:38
like, well, in terms of like, like being a teacher, like what
37:46
was, I don't know, like what is it like, you know, emerging from
37:51
a storm like that as a teacher? Did you, did you kind of like,
37:56
you know, feel like at the next school that you were able to
37:59
just it was it like just a complete like linear graph just
38:02
continuing to go up? Or did you find like in the next
38:06
environment that I would imagine was probably, you know, each
38:09
school is unique in and of itself, but like what was like,
38:12
kind of like your next challenge, I guess, in terms of
38:15
like how you wanted to continue to like cultivate this approach
38:20
to teaching, bringing in your your background in the
38:23
humanities and now applying that it took to math, but to new
38:27
students, like a new group of students.
38:29
So maybe to speak a little bit about the next kind of like
38:33
transition and your teaching career.
38:36
Absolutely, Yeah. Yeah.
38:38
So I think coming out of that challenge, even though it was so
38:43
difficult, I felt like it was really, really great training.
38:47
And yeah, I mean, it was super tough.
38:50
But again, I've taught, again, I taught students who didn't speak
38:53
English, I'm taking teaching them broken Spanish, trying to
38:56
teach kids high school math. We're at an elementary school
38:59
math level. So it was super tough, but it
39:01
really pushed me to be able to challenge those type of things.
39:06
And you know, I think even Jose Toda, you know, one of the
39:10
progenitors of the silk education philosophy, sure,
39:14
something similar that, you know, when you can really teach
39:17
students who are struggling the most, everyone kind of just
39:20
casts off as you know, gives up on.
39:24
It's like then at that point you can really teach anyone, you
39:27
know. And so even though it was super
39:29
tough, I felt it was really great training, supporting
39:32
students, one, who had a lot of personal issues going on outside
39:35
of classroom, and two, a lot of academic challenges being super
39:39
far behind. And so I do think it provided me
39:42
with really great training, really good foundation in being
39:45
an educator, just being in that very tough environment.
39:49
So yeah, after that I moved to Arizona for some personal
39:52
reasons. Start teaching at a more very
39:55
typical traditional public high school, Mesa, AZ Very big couple
40:02
thousand students, really huge school, a lot of teachers.
40:06
And so, yeah, that was a beautiful experience as
40:08
well-being in somewhere where actually there are resources,
40:13
there is technology, there are other competent educators who
40:18
have been doing this for a while who can share ideas with me that
40:24
I learned a lot from that as well from that environment,
40:27
being given the resources, especially the technology to try
40:30
something new and just training from from again, you know, just
40:35
individuals who who had something to offer.
40:37
And and you could, you know, I could really seek from.
40:39
So that was kind of my first time being in that environment,
40:41
which really helped. And so I was at that school for
40:44
another six years teaching a lot of different high school math
40:47
courses. And so it was a truly beautiful
40:50
time. I struggled a little bit just
40:54
kind of in the the very big school environment, you know,
40:57
with 2000, nearly 3000 students, just such a big school, but a
41:02
lot of students, 3035 students in my classroom.
41:05
So again, do my best to build a personal connections.
41:09
But you know, when you got 35 kids in your classroom and an
41:12
hour and, you know, some content to cover, it's a little
41:17
difficult sometimes to find the time to really build those
41:19
personal connections. So it's a little bit of a
41:21
challenge just being in a really big school.
41:24
But yeah, that was a beautiful experience where I really felt
41:26
like I learned a lot as well and, and truly enjoyed it.
41:31
And then more recently, I started teaching in a charter
41:34
school network called Great Hearts Academy, a school in
41:40
Gilbert, AZ. And so the reason I applied to
41:44
the school is because it's very aligned with my own personal
41:46
values on education. And so they have a classical
41:49
model of education, meaning they, the students study a lot
41:53
of classic works of literature. They're reading whole books
41:56
cover to cover, like really great classic books.
41:59
I'm a young age all the way through high school.
42:02
Also smaller classes, you know, 2025 students.
42:06
They do a lot of dialogue, a lot of seminar, kind of like I
42:09
experienced at SUA. They got really beautiful
42:12
program called She Made Letters where it kind of combines the
42:15
history and the literature together.
42:17
So giving that interdisciplinary approach.
42:22
And so, yeah, they're really. Focused on fostering students
42:24
not only with sharp minds, but a great heart, you know, and, and
42:28
which means strong character and yeah, just helping students
42:32
develop virtues and strong character in addition to
42:35
intelligence, I think is often times lacking in public
42:39
education or education as a whole.
42:42
They focus on, yeah, how big students pursue truth, beauty
42:47
and goodness. So again, values that I connect
42:51
with a lot. And so that's the reason I went
42:52
there. Even their approach to math is
42:54
really interesting. I'm teaching geometry, so
42:57
through this classic text, Euclid's Elements, Greek
43:02
mathematician. And it's interesting.
43:05
It's like really great development of their logical
43:07
skills and in a very kind of well connected, conceptually
43:12
integrated way in which they're basically not just using these
43:15
math skills, but like starting with basic facts, proving the
43:18
next one, using what they know to prove the next one.
43:21
Just kind of builds and builds and builds.
43:23
And we're able to really see the connections between the ideas.
43:27
So it's a really great training in problem solving and deductive
43:32
reasoning, you know, thinking logically.
43:36
And so, yeah, through reading an old text.
43:38
So it's almost even like a literature class in some reading
43:40
this old, you know, classic textbook.
43:44
And so, yeah, that has been really, really wonderful.
43:49
Yeah. I mean, I felt like I taught
43:49
like a school that was just like really struggling at the lowest
43:52
of lowest level in terms of resources and opportunities.
43:55
You know, then I taught like an average school.
43:58
You're very typical public. And the school man now is
44:00
actually a really great school. The students are wonderful,
44:04
really great teachers. The admin is super supportive,
44:07
best teachers, best admin I've ever worked with.
44:09
And the students are just phenomenal.
44:11
You know, it's very diverse from many different countries, even
44:14
different countries around the world, very sharp, very, very,
44:18
very intelligent young people. But only that they they really
44:21
do have strong character, which may not be entirely due to the
44:24
school. I'm sure, you know, it's
44:25
probably because they have great families and you know, who
44:28
raised them with really great values and stuff like that.
44:30
But yeah, just genuinely like, respect worthy, say thank you,
44:35
just really great people with great hearts.
44:38
And so it's also be exposed to that be an environment.
44:43
Well, now I'm not the only one who has this idea of helping
44:47
students develop their humanity. But that's like the whole
44:49
school. That's the whole values.
44:51
They're trying to implement it in the way the school runs, the
44:54
other teachers on the same page, the families and students are
44:57
mostly on the same page. And now it's like I can really
45:00
learn from everyone else and do it in a cohesive environment.
45:05
There's really just taking it to a whole new level.
45:06
So I really appreciate, you know, this, this new
45:09
opportunity, this new school I'm I've been at.
45:12
Well, I'm. I'm so happy that that you're
45:14
you're in that environment. I'm sure they're super happy to
45:17
have you as well because you have that training, right.
45:20
You literally forged in the fires of probably the most
45:23
difficult kind of teaching, like first job, teacher job, like you
45:28
can, you can have. And and it's you know, you laid
45:32
it out yourself right from like kind of like the lowest
45:34
performing school to kind of like average mid to now, like
45:38
top performing. And and that you've been able to
45:41
kind of take all that experience and all those skills and
45:45
learnings and bring it to the next environment to really share
45:49
and become the the best teacher you can be.
45:53
And, and, and in this current school that you're at great
45:56
hearts, you spoke about how, you know, there's these like really
45:59
amazing students, there's also these incredible teachers that
46:02
you're able to learn from and that the whole environment is,
46:05
is kind of like on operating on the same page in terms of the
46:08
values. And that's actually the same
46:10
thing you said about the environment at SUA.
46:13
And so it's, it sounds like you're kind of making these like
46:16
steps take taking these steps towards once again, getting to
46:20
that ideal of like this is really, you know, what, like how
46:25
we can make the the greatest, you know, impact, you know, for,
46:30
for this group of students. But I also think, you know, in
46:33
all of your efforts, even from like the very beginnings of your
46:35
teaching career, I'm, I have no doubt that those students had
46:41
like we're, we're so fortunate to have you, right?
46:44
Because then and, and you were able to make the biggest impact
46:47
there on their lives, right? Showing them that math can be
46:50
taught a different way, that relationship with the teacher
46:54
can be something different than maybe more of an authoritarian
46:58
kind of like figure. And that, you know, there are
47:01
people out there that are really cheering for their success and
47:05
that want what's best for them. So this next question I have
47:09
because now, you know, you really laid out like in three,
47:12
you know, wonderful chapters of your teaching career, how you've
47:16
been able to grow as an educator.
47:19
And that, you know, in a way you you didn't, you didn't have to
47:24
like sacrifice your own values, right?
47:26
That you really were trying your best to make the most of every
47:30
circumstance and apply what you learned at SUA in terms of, you
47:34
know, what it means to be Ahsoka educator.
47:37
So you just talked about like SUA global citizenship was not
47:41
something that you explicitly talked about.
47:45
Or maybe it was talked about, but only for, you know, very,
47:48
you know, brief or specific occasions.
47:51
It was just the water around you, right, That you were
47:54
exposed to. Would you say that, you know,
47:57
through these three chapters, you, you started to kind of get
48:01
more specific and a kind of hone in on like, OK, like now that I
48:05
got classroom management done, now that I'm building out
48:07
interesting lessons and now that I'm really, I understand I'm
48:11
making impact not only on the students lives, but even their
48:14
families and the school environment in general.
48:19
Was there like a particular moment when, you know, there was
48:22
maybe a crystallization as far as what your how your work
48:26
relates to fostering global citizens specifically?
48:30
Could you maybe speak to that and unpack what you mean by a
48:33
global citizen as well? Yeah.
48:36
Sure. So, yeah, I mean, for me, global
48:42
citizenship has a lot to do with drawing connections, seeing
48:45
relationships. You know, in one way, I think
48:49
it's, you know, seeing how your own life really connects what's
48:53
going on in your local community and how that connects to what's
48:56
going on in your country. And then you know how that even
49:01
connects to what's happening across the entire world, globe
49:07
could be socially, could be in terms of environmentally.
49:12
And so to me, my understanding global citizenship is, is just
49:16
really seeing those connections. Our life is connected to
49:19
everything going on around us, from the small all the way up to
49:22
the big scale, and how everything going on around us in
49:26
the world or in our country, in our community is also connected
49:29
to her own life and daily experience, you know, and.
49:35
You know, I believe those connections are real.
49:37
You know, so it's not really whether they're connected, it's
49:40
just whether you realize it or not, we can see it or not.
49:45
And so that's my understanding. And so I think, you know,
49:49
there's been different moments in my teaching career where I
49:51
felt like, yeah, you know, there's been, you know, a
49:55
certain project or lesson that really was a good example of
49:59
that. So for example, I think that
50:01
Mexican drug war project I mentioned a moment ago was
50:04
really good in terms of helping him realize like, hey, this
50:08
crazy Mexican. Drug war that's going on that.
50:12
Like really caused so much suffering for my family.
50:15
People I know is connected to these larger issues.
50:21
You know, maybe it's connected to the fact that a lot of people
50:24
are strong with poverty. And so for some people, maybe
50:28
going into this drug crime war is like the only opportunity
50:31
they have, which is not an excuse, but maybe if that's some
50:34
other economic opportunity, maybe they would have another
50:37
some other choice to choose from, you know, And then, I
50:40
mean, they're thinking about why is it people that's, you know,
50:43
certain people in certain countries, you know, don't have
50:46
that many economic opportunities.
50:49
And how does that relate to even global forces, like, for
50:52
example, the relationship with the United States and Mexico,
50:57
the different trade agreements we create through things such as
51:00
NAFTA? And so it kind of goes on and
51:03
on, but it's hard to realize like, oh, some crazy trade
51:08
agreement called the North American Free Trade Agreement
51:12
has some connection to like my uncle that got murdered, which
51:17
again, it's sad, it's heavy, but you know, those connections do
51:20
exist. And I feel like once you start
51:22
seeing a broader or holistic, you know, view of reality, you
51:28
understand your life in the world better and you understand
51:32
like, you can also have the power to change it.
51:34
Things are inevitable. They're just result of a lot.
51:38
Of causes. And effects and relationships.
51:41
And so that was one example. You know, another one, which
51:45
wasn't my creation was from a social justice math project.
51:49
I was like a sweatshop project. So they like look.
51:53
The tag on their shirt? Or shoes and just see what
51:57
country was made in, you know, and you know, China or maybe
52:01
some country in Asia or South America, Central America,
52:05
Vietnam or, you know, like, you know, Honduras, whatever.
52:08
So they start seeing and the question is like, well, how much
52:11
did the person who made your shirt?
52:13
I mean, what was the wages they made when they're making your
52:16
jeans or your Nike shoes or whatever?
52:19
And so they do the research and they watch this documentary
52:22
called China Blue about these like Chinese girls working in a
52:25
sweatshop to make jeans. And they see like, whoa, these
52:28
are the type of struggles that people go through who are made
52:32
the clothes that we're literally wearing right now.
52:34
And it turns into a whole math project.
52:36
You know, they make a table, they make an equation, they make
52:38
a graph, this and that, you know, so it's like linear
52:41
equations is the math concept in Algebra 1.
52:46
And there's a lot of other. Examples, but again.
52:47
To me, I feel like that fosters a mindset of global citizenship
52:51
because you realize, like the shirt on my back, you know what
52:54
I mean? Was made by some girl in China
52:57
making $0.12 an hour. Had to like leave her family,
53:03
you know, and everything she knew behind because it was the
53:05
only opportunity she had. She's like getting abused, you
53:08
know, and this and that. And again, some of it's a
53:11
little, a little heavy, but the world we live in is a little
53:14
heavy, you know, and, and it's not only the negative things
53:16
too. I mean, I, you know, I think
53:17
there's a lot of ways we can show like, Hey, the positive
53:20
relationships are ways, you know, we're supported by through
53:23
so many connections as well. So it doesn't have to go so much
53:27
down the critical lens like some, you know, people do.
53:30
But point being is like, you know, they start to realize,
53:33
Hey, the math connects to my shirt, connects to China,
53:36
connects to this girl, and you just start seeing the
53:38
connections. And for me, that's what a global
53:42
citizen is, just realizing how your life is connected to so
53:45
many different things that you may not be aware of.
53:48
You know, I yeah, I I, I. Hear you man and I I totally
53:55
agree those connections are so important to be able to see that
54:00
and then also to feel empowered enough to to take actions so
54:03
that you don't feel like you know the victim that you know,
54:09
oh, there's no point and you know, I'm just kind of swaying
54:12
in in whatever direction the wind or the storm is kind of
54:15
blowing. But I think, you know, for them
54:18
to make it personal for them to then understand, no, this is
54:21
actually something I, I can get behind and allow them to then
54:25
build that, that sent, you know, urgency of like taking action
54:29
that I think is so important for, for young people,
54:32
especially now in the kind of society that we live in where
54:36
everything kind of just points towards apathy and indifference
54:40
that what's the point, you know, and that's when, you know,
54:44
that's, that's kind of the place where I think a lot of young
54:47
people find themselves in. And that's the, you know,
54:50
teachers being on the front lines to really address that and
54:53
provide them that hope that is so, so needed.
54:57
So thank you so much, Ryan, for sharing that and for just, you
55:00
know, really opening up about this, this educator journey of
55:04
yours that was by no means easy whatsoever, but you've been able
55:09
to transform so much through that process, including the
55:13
lives of many, many, many, many, many students, young people in
55:18
general. So it's just incredible that
55:20
you're still doing the work and that you're now doing a PhD on
55:24
top of that. And really, you know what that
55:26
whatever that next step is, you know, even at great hearts,
55:30
maybe it's within the school or maybe there's another step
55:33
beyond that. Undoubtedly, I think this ideal
55:37
of what you experience at SUA is, is now within your, your
55:42
reach. And, and it's going to take a
55:44
lot of other capable, incredible educators to also join forces
55:47
with you so that that can inspire more.
55:50
And then that's the kind of cause and ripple effect that
55:53
we're wanting to see in the world.
55:54
So you know this this kind of brings us to the last question
55:59
and it's a question I ask all my guests.
56:01
Do you have any book recommendations, movie
56:04
recommendations? Any recommendations that you'd
56:06
like to share with the listeners?
56:09
Yeah, I mean going off this topic.
56:11
Of global citizenship, global citizenship education.
56:16
The book recommendation I would like to make is the New Human
56:18
Revolution, you know, story of this grassroots movement of
56:24
individuals, you know, really trying to contribute to World
56:28
Peace throughout their own individual inner transformation.
56:33
Based on the practice of neutron Buddhism.
56:36
Written by a man named Daisaku Ikeda, who, you know, some
56:41
listeners may be familiar with, maybe not Buddhist leader
56:44
Sokagaka International, who traveled the world really
56:48
working for peace. This growing up in the horrors
56:52
of war, World War 2, Japan, just seeing the immense suffering
56:58
people went through in Japan after, you know, going through
57:01
World War 2 and just really, you know, coming up from that with a
57:06
strong determination to just completely battle and eradicate,
57:12
eradicate the miseries of war through fighting for peace.
57:17
Based on the philosophy of neutron Buddhism.
57:20
And, you know, traveling to 54 countries around the world not
57:25
only to spread Buddhism, ensure this empowering philosophy of
57:29
respect for the dignity of life, but also to just bridge
57:32
cultures. Engaging in interfaith dialogue
57:36
to bridge people with different religions, speaking with world
57:39
leaders, doing citizen diplomacy, connecting people
57:43
through poetry, becoming a world poet.
57:46
Loweret, you know, connecting people through photography,
57:51
creating a kindergarten University School system, which
57:55
again, he's the founder of SUA Silk University of America.
57:59
Bringing people together through educational exchange, study
58:01
abroad, bring people together through culture exchange,
58:05
hosting music museums, creating museums, creating research
58:08
institutes, you know, doing cultural exchanges of exhibits
58:12
across countries just with this aim of bringing people together
58:17
in a world that tries. To divide people.
58:19
And push them apart, you know, trying to unite people based on
58:22
our common humanity. And so yeah, all that history is
58:26
is detailed in 30 volumes of the new human revolution.
58:30
And for me, you know, just looking at that individual
58:32
Dicycle kid is such a great example of a global citizen,
58:36
someone who really can as one individual make such a huge
58:40
impact, not only a personal familial community, local,
58:46
national, but also global scale is just really great inspiration
58:50
to me. So if anyone has any reddits
58:53
that rainbow on a series over my left shoulder and I highly
58:57
recommend. Yes amazing.
59:01
Thank you so much, Ryan. And yeah, amazing job just
59:04
sharing about Dasaku Kata, his contributions to not only
59:09
education, but just World Peace in general.
59:11
And yeah, it's it's it's a great volume series.
59:15
It takes a little while. 30 is a quite a bit, but yeah,
59:18
everything is there in terms of like, you know, what is it?
59:21
What does it take to really make that impact?
59:23
And what does it mean to undergo that inner transformation that
59:27
you were talking about and truly step into those shoes of being a
59:30
global citizen? So this has been so wonderful,
59:33
joyful conversation, albeit right, with the the, the
59:38
challenges and and difficulties that you you shared about, you
59:41
know, your, your teaching experiences, but I just really
59:43
appreciate you taking this time, Ryan.
59:45
And yeah, I wanted to give you like just the last a couple
59:48
words any any final thoughts or send offs.
59:50
So we kind of wrap things up. I think I'm good.
59:53
I just want. To appreciate you for the
59:54
opportunity. I know you're working really
59:56
hard on this podcast and have many, many episodes, so don't
1:00:00
anyone listening check them out. I appreciate the opportunity to
1:00:03
share my story and thanks for shining the spotlight on me.
1:00:06
But as you mentioned, there's just so many individuals doing
1:00:08
this work that you've had the opportunity to interview and
1:00:11
really, you know, put the spotlight on their stories as
1:00:13
well. So thank you for making the
1:00:15
effort to really document this. I think it's important.
1:00:18
History and anyone listening, please check out the other
1:00:20
episodes. There's a there's so many
1:00:22
amazing individuals Scott has really had the opportunity to
1:00:25
connect with. So thank you so much for the
1:00:27
work you're doing. I really appreciate it.