Last Friday, I gave my students a chance to ask me a question. It was the second day of school, and I had taken the introduction and orientation on the first day. I thought it was only right at that point to give the students an opportunity to dig a little deeper if they chose to do so, and in the directions that they felt would be interesting. I was surprised how few questions actually were scrawled on the board. There were the expected, such as the seniors who wrote, "What about Senior Projects?" That was practical, and we discussed the general plan for the Buhler tradition that has developed into a year-long quest through research and exploration. There were the slightly brave, such as the youth who messily penned the query "What happened to your finger?" I always look for that courageous soul who is willing to risk it so early in the year. I broke out the classic tale of a young derelict severing his digit during a botched pilfering of split-level home. It was neat. During one class period, however, a single word appeared on the board, and those three letters could quite possibly sum up the essence of meaningful education.
The question written on the board?
"Why?"
No qualifier. No elaboration. No specifics. Simply "Why?"
This three letter word made my day. "Why" is my favorite question, if I have to choose just one question as my favorite. History, or at least legend, tells us that Socrates based his methods of teach the youth of ancient Greece on "why". Even Bill and Ted were able to grasp the significance of that. In fact, "why" was so powerful, it led to Socrates being labeled a source of corruption and a threat to the establishment. It leads to contemplation and to exploration. It moves the mind.
I truly love when students begin to ask that question as they read, and it has led to amazing discussions and rabbit trails. Knowing that Juliet seemed to fall in love with the rival youth Romeo is simple. However, asking why she was so quick to fall in love with the young man, shortly after telling her mother and her nurse that marriage was an "honor not dreamed of", leads to greater consideration. Mulling that question over and then offering possibly explanations can reveal much about the student responding as well. If a student immediately recognizes the fact that Juliet sees an example of passionless marriage in the union of her parents, and goes further to see Juliet's possible motivation for a quick twirl into wedded bliss as evidence that she wants to find a mate who lights the fires of passion within her, as opposed to the cold, business-like arrangement of her parents and the potential union to the much older Paris, that student is displaying a grasp of the world a bit more mature than the traditional freshman, as well as an insight into how some households do not live up to the Norman Rockwell image we have been led to believe exists in most American homes. Pondering "Why?" in regards to the darkness found in Poe's twisted writings leads to an examination of a tortured life, a life that some of our students can relate to, and perhaps find solace in the fact that another soul experienced hardship and turned to the pen in order to exorcise those demons. Peering deeper into the "why" behind the treatment the older brother inflicts upon an adoring Doodle in "The Scarlet Ibis" can reveal not only a student's understanding of the brother dynamic in a family but also the tenuous nature of love.
"Why" is a powerful tool. I have touched on but a sliver of the light that the word can shed on our reading, our thoughts, and our world. We were told at the beginning of the year to find our "Why" in regards to teaching. One of the kids later in the day asked that question too. I won't get into that topic just yet; that discussion deserves its own space. I wrote earlier on the "why" behind writing. I will probably revisit that at some point as well. Those are both good whys to look at more closely from time to time. Why? Well, that is the question, is it not?
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