Dreaming Big

As you've noticed from yesterday's post, I'm fond of free-writes and am often surprised at what direction these entries take. Anyway, if you enjoy stream of consciousness, then you've found the right blog. Today is my last day in Lyon and I'm spending my morning inside waiting for my roommate to wake up before packing although, I might start in half an hour either way so that I'm packed and ready by 11. I had a really good conversation with some other people in the hostel this morning during breakfast and got to share some of my life goals and dreams with them. They recently (within the last year) came into better focus and got bigger.
Now instead of simply teaching, I want to find a school with a good behavioral science program and classrooms for practical experiments so I can test my hypotheses on how to create a classroom in which the students not only want to learn but are supporting each other through the journey. Between my experiences in the classroom and recognizing that many are growing up without having to learn basic socializing skills, this is the direction I want education to take. Students should learn early on that we have something to learn from every person we meet regardless of varying IQ and the value of helping and supporting one another.
I recently read that most Americans feel lonely to the extent that many don't even feel like they have one person to call when things are rough. We've isolated ourselves behind screens, texting or Facebook chatting our friends and calling it a social life. I want school to become a support system that includes a child's peers. Children should be able to create good, strong relationships with their peers and if we focus on the importance of empathy by creating an environment in which it can thrive, we could take a large step in eliminating bullying. If school can start feeling like a second family in which the child feels loved, supported, and challenged they'd actually want to go. There's a quote that states if you take away a child's struggle, you take away their learning opportunity so there's a balance of difficulty to maintain.
I'm hopeful that by the time I'm done with the 2 more years of schooling and some personal experiences in teaching that I'll be able to help other teachers implement/integrate the new program, if I can successfully write up and prove the study. I've already hiked for six months on the Appalachian Trail and then saved up for this new trip so, I might be able to manifest this...with lots of help of course.