I just finished writing the first draft of a short paper on complexity and the teacher’s practice. Much of this is not new. A classroom has the potential to become a community. It is about the needs of each student within a classroom and their personal lived histories. Around that community has the potential to emerge. I cannot plan for it. I can wish for it. Community grows out of the livingness of our lives when we linger on bridges that link us and we while away time in those moments. This is different then when someone chooses a team with a specific goal in mind.
Those are not my thoughts. I added to the thinking of Hans-Georg Gadamer, Max van Manen, David Jardine, and Ted Aoki. I found complexity is something we have talked about throughout history, yet we it treat like it is new. I looked for a poem that fit my writing. The first poet that appeared was Rumi and he led me to this beautiful poem about the oneness of community.
If ten lamps are in one place,
each differs in form from another;
yet you can’t distinguish whose radiance is whose when you focus on the light.
In the field of spirit there is no division; no individuals exist.
Sweet is the oneness of the Friend with His friends.
Catch hold of spirit.
Help this headstrong self disintegrate;
that beneath it you may discover unity,
like a buried treasure.
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Teacher as Transformer 
Buried treasure indeed. Thank you for sharing some of yours with the world, Ivon.
Russ
You are welcome Russ and thank you.
This post gave me lots to ponder. I like the way you put it “livingness of our lives” – it brings me the thought of being fully present when we “linger on the bridges that link us” – present in the interaction on those bridges, not only in our own lives (which can be a challenge in itself when the headstrong self tends to camouflage the spirit).
Thank you for the beautiful comment. Yes, the ego is something that offers us places to hide from our self. Perhaps, the first bridge is to our own heart. Like you said, “This post gives me lots to ponder” and it has through your comment.
Hi Ivon, yes this is a very thoughtful poem indeed. Thank you for sharing it.
You are welcome Tina and thank you for stopping by. Take care.
Love those last three lines, “Help this headstrong self disintegrate;
that beneath it you may discover unity,
like a buried treasure…”!
It is such a gentle reminder to set the ego aside and find what is hidden behind it.
this is so beautiful! all interconnected…Namaste, Ivon!
Thank you.
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
BEING ONE …IN PURPOSE AND DIRECTION IS INDEED SWEET! 🙂
Thank you for the re-blog Jonathan. It is indeed sweet.
…and we go on searching because the absolute is never completely found…we are but facsimiles of who we think we should be
Thank you for a wondeful comment Marie. Who we are is always an incomplete telling of a story.
Thank You for all of your posts! If you ever go to Linkedin.com I’ve published three posts there. The one that sort of relates to our discussion is titled Spirituality with a sub-title Why Am I Here Lord. If they look interesting I would be honored if you read them all. I am trying to get my name recognized as a writer. After two books you would think there might be some recognition, but so far not much except WordPress and Facebook. I have mostly a poetry following on both. Thanks
You are welcome Marie. Thank you stopping and reading. I sent a request to connect on Linked In and will spend some time reading your postings.