The Te of Piglet is a book from the same author as The Tao of Pooh. I’m still very new to Taoism but according to the author, ‘Piglet demonstrates a very important principle of Taoism: the Te – a Chinese word meaning Virtue – of the Small.’

The author writes:

‘Is the adult wiser than the child? On the individual level, of course, that depends on which adult and which child. But beyond that, wisdom is to the Taoist a child’s state. Children are born with it; most adults have lost it, or a good deal of it. And those who haven’t, are in one way or another, like children.’

As teachers, we are constantly reminded of the wisdom of children. I do not have a class of my own but I do faciliate two After School Activities (ASA). 

One ASA is a group of elementary students who I pose philosophical questions too after reading stories from the Odyssey. Here are some example of the wisdom of children from that ASA:

Me: ‘Do you think Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world?’

Child: ‘Beauty is an opinion and if it is an opinion you can’t judge it.’

Me: ‘Do you think it would be good to be happy all of the time?’

Child: ‘How do you even know you are happy if you are not sad sometimes?’

Both of these answers are examples of critical thinking at its very best. 

Critical Thinking, along with Compassion, Collaboration, Communication, Courage, Creativity, and Reflection, is an ISY Learner Attribute that we strive to nurture in all that we do. In nurturing these attributes in our children, we need to preserve the wisdom that they already have as we expose them to new perspectives and key academic concepts and skills. 

I really hope that every child who leaves ISY retains their childish wisdom. Childish wisdom mixed with some ‘grown up’ expertise and experience will go a long way in finding the answers to many of the problems that our children will need to solve.

Hoff, Benjamin, and Ernest H. Shepard. The Tao of Pooh. Methuen, 1989.

Hoff, Benjamin, and Ernest H. Shepard. The Te of Piglet. Egmont, 2003.

Would you like to make a difference in a child’s life and have fun at the same time?

The Sports-A-Thon is an annual fundraising event for the UWS-ISY Wan Kaung School partnership.  As many of you know, ISY has partnered with United World Schools (UWS) to sponsor the building of and maintaining a school in Northern Myanmar.  This sponsorship allows the school to maintain a proper teaching staff and supplies students with resources to be successful.  If you are interested in learning more about this amazing program, check out the ISY website.

This year’s event will be held virtually on Saturday, December 12 from 9:00-11:00 AM.

How can you participate?

1. Join a zoom meeting on December 12th, engage in and sponsor your son/daughter in a physical activity (or join several) and make a donation!  

or

2. Video your family member(s) engaging in a physical activity prior to December 12th, submit the video to be included in the day’s celebration and make a donation!

How else can you support the UWS Wan Kaung School?  

1. Sponsor a Student.  A monthly or one-time donation will enable a child to attend the school.

2. Purchase an ISY mask through the school store.  All profits go directly to the Wan Kaung School.

Each year, ISY is committed to raising at least $10,000.  Please consider making your donation today!

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