The Future

Sam has written me a few emails over the course of the semester. At first, he was asking for personal advice about school and guidance regarding some issues with his classmates. Both of these topics are outside of the realm of my teaching capabilities and I responded with the most generic advice. It's difficult balancing homesickness and loneliness with keeping a professional distance from your students. I would love to be friends with all of them, but I have to remember my role in their lives is to educate. My most recent email from Sam shifted to a more personal tone. He wants to know what I like to do for fun and if I have any friends. "I am very curious about you," he ended the email.
I have not responded.
I normally take a break during class. Three hours is a long time for anyone. During this break, I retreat to my office on the floor below my classroom and busy myself with some mindless computer game until the twenty minutes are over. Today, however, Sam knocked on my office door and interrupted my Pinball game.
Last week's class focused on the environment. Naturally, my passion for this topic must have impacted my students. I struggle with keeping my own bias and personal agenda out of the classroom; I want them to form their own opinions and beliefs on every topic we cover.
During my lesson, I talked at length about the need for China to develop without forsaking the environment that has allowed them to become the oldest living civilization on Earth. Sam has another class that focuses on the development of China both economically and physically. I have been invited as a guest speaker for next week's class. I'm honored - in a strange way.
I will be asked to give a brief talk (15-20 minutes) about development and the environment. Afterwards, I will take questions from his classmates.

I'm not sure what my next step in life will be. I know that I will not be attending graduate school in the fall. My previous goal was to study paleoclimates until I became old and gray. While I'm still fascinated by the subject, China has changed me in less than two months. I am astounded at the development that is currently taking place here and can only imagine what is occurring throughout the rest of the world. The industrialization and development that is taking place in China is unlike anything the United States has ever experienced. I have a visceral reaction to development on any scale, but this is our Industrial Revolution on steroids.

I'm concerned for their future, though. Their disregard for anything sustainable is palpable.

I look at the history of this country and the strides they are taking towards development. So much of what they are doing is forsaking their ancestors and beliefs. I'm convinced that through education the Chinese would be able to continue their traditions while developing into an industrialized world. The history that surrounds them only provides an even stronger foundation for their future.

So, I am currently researching graduate schools for Global Environmental Policy for the Spring semester. Until then, I'm going to focus on my presentation for Sam's class.