How My Liberal Arts Education Has Influenced Me
As I glance around the stuffy, crowded classroom in Winger I am
surrounded by people of different races, religions, sexualities, ages and
backgrounds. Their multitude of differences immediately forms a barrier, but the
commonalities of being curious and nervous of the unknown adventure of
Experiencing the Arts that we are about to embark on lurks among the class and
unites us all. Attending Manchester College which offers a liberal arts
education curriculum has helped me gain knowledge to become a better educator,
helped me realize the power of my opinion, made me reflect on my beliefs and
attitudes of others, and myself and helped me see the world with a different
perspective.
By taking Experiencing the Arts I have gained further knowledge in an
area I was essentially unfamiliar with and therefore will be a better educator
because of the experience. For example by taking an art class and learning about
the different composers, artists, and iconographers I will have background
knowledge of those topics if ever those programs are cut at my school. I will
have an experience to draw from and rely on if I have to teach about art to my
students. I will not only have the knowledge if programs are cut, but I will
have the knowledge to use to enrich the everyday activities in my classroom. By
taking this class I have gained the ability to recognize a painting by Van Gogh
or Picasso, distinguish the works of Beethoven from Mozart, but most importantly
I have gained an appreciation and love for the arts that I never would have
realized. By becoming aware, familiar, and passionate about the different types
of music, art, and iconography that is appreciated throughout the world and seen
in history books I am able to share my enthusiasm and knowledge that I have
gained of such topics with my students who may not have ever had those
experiences.
By taking classes that are engaging and that make me think, such as
Philosophy, I am beginning to form my own opinions based on the knowledge I am
gaining. As Robert Harris states a liberal arts education, “will enable you to
develop your own opinions, attitudes, values, and beliefs, based not upon the
authority of parents, peers, or professor, and not upon ignorance, whim, or
prejudice, but upon your own worthy apprehension, examination, and evaluation of
argument and evidence” (sec. 2). I do not have to rely on other’s knowledge.
Instead I am now able to rely on my own knowledge about the many different areas
I have learned about while gaining a liberal arts education such as sociology,
psychology, or the New Testament. I can have conversations with other people and
know that I have knowledge in the area I am discussing. I can also know and
understand that many other people have different views and opinions than me and
by having wisdom I am able to tell them why I believe what I do and have some
credibility. Therefore, by attending a liberal arts college I have formed my own
opinions based on what I have learned from my classes, professors, and my
surrounding peers.
By attending a college that has an eclectic group of people, I have
gained a better understanding of my beliefs and attitudes and also gained a
better understanding of others beliefs and attitudes. By living in the small
community of North Manchester my entire life I was primarily surrounded by a
homogeneous group of people. I never had the opportunity to really experience
people with different backgrounds from myself, but I always prided myself in
being accepting and open to others who were different. Throughout the years I
have attended Manchester College, I have become even more conscious of the many
people who make up a community. I would not say that my beliefs or attitudes
have changed so much as I have become even more aware of the world and people
that make up my surroundings. Not only have I gained a better understanding of
the way different people live, believe, and think while attending Manchester
College, I have also learned to value the many differences in the students and
professors I meet. Each person I encounter that is different from me teaches me
something new. For example, Candy Preston has taught me that no matter what age
a person is, it is never too late to pursue a dream. Professor Ings has taught
me through Reading Lolita in Tehran that through picking up a novel on a
blistery, snowy day you can learn about a country half way around the world that
you may never visit. By having experiences with other students and reading books
about various cultures I learned to appreciate the many differences that
surround me at Manchester College and the diversity that will continue to
surround me throughout my life.
By obtaining a liberal arts education at Manchester College I am forced
to look at life from a global perspective. As I sit among students of different
cultures in my classes I hear them discussing their views on United States
politics, and it makes me realize that everyone has a different opinion of the
what is right and wrong for humankind. I also know not one opinion is right or
wrong, if a person is educated about why they have chosen the position or
opinion they have chosen. By looking at the world through not just a Manchester
perspective, but through an entire world perspective, I am better able to
communicate and interact with others. I realize that not everyone will have the
same views or ideas as me and that by respecting others and listening to their
reasoning, I in turn will become a better person. When I begin teaching, having
a world perspective will benefit my students greatly. Not only will I teach them
about current world events through newspapers, but also I will read the students
stories that take place in a different country around the world. By looking at
how others view the world, and not just the community of North Manchester or the
United States of America, I will be modeling and allowing my students to gain
empathy, understanding, tolerance, and respect for people all around the world.
By attended Manchester College and getting a liberal arts education I have been
able to gain a clearer insight on the importance of the entire world working
together and treating each other with respect.
Through my years at Manchester College, I have gained knowledge to
become a better educator, formed my own opinions, realized my own beliefs and
attitudes and also those of others, and been forced to see the world not only as
the community of North Manchester but as millions of different people living
together in the same world. Through this experience, I feel I have not only
become a better future educator but also a better person. By taking a variety of
classes and experiencing people who are not the same as me on a daily basis, I
have become empathetic and openly embrace those who are different than myself.
Works Cited:
Harris, Robert. On the Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education. 14 Mar. 1991. <www.virtualsalt.com/libarted.htm>.