Last Tuesday, our class was taught by D.C's "Teacher of the Year" for 2009, Ms. Kim Worthy. She began the class by singing a song that was based on the African concepts of friendship and camaraderie, and gave the class a bit of info on her personal background. As a young child, she was taught to respect the privileges that you have and to remember those who put their lives and well being at stake to win those privileges. She also learned that connecting with others at a certain level of understanding, rather than at a superficial level, formed deeper bonds between people that will ultimately generate good outcomes. This concept, which forms the basis of "Ubuntu", helped Ms. Worthy with her career in teaching. She found that by interacting with her students, both black and white, as a person they could trust in rather than one they would have to please in order to receive a passing grade, the children became more attentive in class, were able to communicate their feelings, and also scored off the charts for their specific racial and/or economic background.

This same occurrence can be observed from nearly half way around the world in African schools called LEAP academies. The children there are trusted by their elders, and thus are able to do various activities by themselves, orchestrated by people in their own age groups. While living in the most desolate of living conditions, these young children find solace in one another, which is why they make their trek to the academy nearly every day, not only to obtain an education, but to interconnect with others that share in their difficulties. This session helped me to realize just how important socialization is to the human psyche.