Reflection #6

Today was such a good class!  The email that Geoff showed us during class was from a frustrated technology teacher.  What is the point of teaching technology?  Is it worth it?  What will the student get out of it and does a student who is not going to go into that career field need to learn it?  These are all questions that this person asked and they are questions I have asked myself and have been pondering a lot, especially this semester while being in TEE 276.  Every one needs to ask themselves the question, what is the point of teaching technology?  We should all come up with our own answers.  To me, teaching technology is vital in a child's life because they become better problem solvers and gain character development.  We need to be careful not to get so caught up in the how to do things, but in the why are we learning this.  Geoff made the point that you can give the processes and hope that the students tease out the principles that you are really trying to show them.  This is why we have to teach the why.

We then read the first chapter in the book, "Bonds That Make Us Free."  I was immediately captivated when I read the first couple of pages.  This book answers why we get so caught up in ourselves and why we are so ready to take offense at what others do?  I don't hear about this topic very often, because I think people really don't want to admit that they are having agitated feelings or are unhappy.  It gives comfort knowing that every one has those feelings.  Reading this was perfect timing since yesterday in my mission prep class we talked about why we don't have the spirit with us all the time.  I think these two topics correlate-  being agitated/unhappy and not having the spirit with us.  Brother Bott said that when we are not feeling the spirit, then we need to stop and ask ourselves,  "what am I doing wrong now that I wasn't doing an hour ago?"  We can't blame our unhappiness on any one else.  Someone said that life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you handle it.  Sometimes when I get frustrated with people, I think it's them that need to change, but I have got to realize that it is actually me that needs to change.  "The feelings that we blame on others, and that seem to ruin everything, rudely refuse to be evicted once they take up residence in us."  Frustration can contaminate every project we undertake.  It is difficult to overestimate the corrosive power of agitated feelings.  "Those times when we feel most miserable, offended, or angry are invariably the occasions when we're also most absorbed in ourselves and most anxious or suspicious, or fearful, or in some other way concerned about ourselves."  This is ironic that we learned about this today, not only because It goes along with not feeling the spirit, but because I have been studying the topic of meekness.  I learned that meekness is a christ-like attribute that is essential for those who want to stay on the path of righteousness.  In fact, Moroni warned "none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart."  If we are meek, then we do not get offended by others or take offense.  If we are meek, then we do not get agitated easily because we are not absorbed in ourselves.  Instead, we are thinking of others and loving our neighbors as God sees them instead of as objects.

I guess it all comes down to what we want.  Do we want happiness or do we want to be miserable?  We can be happy by simply not letting ourselves get frustrated and by developing our relationships with others and focusing on the now and not focusing so much on ourselves.