It has now
been just about two months since I arrived at SJI International, “fresh from
the boat” as they say, and eager to encounter the new environment and community
here in Singapore. In that respect, my initial experience has not been very
different from that of many of the young people who come to the Elementary
School or the High School for the first time. We are both fascinated by all of
the new experiences that we encounter (What is that red sauce? Did I understand
that person? I wonder if they expect me to do something now? What do all those
acronyms mean?) and we are comforted by the fact that people are the same the
world over. Plus, thankfully, Lasallian schools carry common characteristics
that are as welcome as they are familiar.
One of the
primary characteristics of a Lasallian school revolves around a certain kind of
community. People come together for all kinds of purposes and causes. Many
times, community is formed because it will enable individuals to accomplish
something that they really want for themselves or for their interests. There is
nothing wrong with that. The difference in a Lasallian community is that the
purpose is focused on others, on the growth and improvement of others, on the
future of others, on the spiritual life of others. The reason that teachers and
administrators come together in a school is to accomplish something that will
touch the hearts and minds of each student.
All great
teachers and all genuine teachers (which makes them great) have taken on that
vocation because of who they are and how they see themselves as people of
integrity, people who are honest with themselves. Many of them could have been
quite successful in other industries, and perhaps they were in other
industries. But there was a generous spirit, an intellectual curiosity, and a
hunger for personal encounter that drew them to the sometimes messy vocation of
the classroom. It is there that they have found out who they really were, and
it is there that they bring out the best in those confided to their care.
I am very
happy to be here with the Brothers in Singapore and to be able to be part of
the educational community at SJI International. I am looking forward to many
fine opportunities to further appreciate Lasallian education as it is lived in
a culture that is different from my own.
I’m on a rather steep learning curve, but that
keeps things fresh and exciting. Just like class.
