A Posture of Curiosity
From Danielle Merrit-Sunseri, Curriculum Developer
“You know, I was a young biologist, so life aboard an aircraft carrier was actually pretty interesting.” This was my dad’s recent reflection on his time in the U.S. Navy. Indeed, his shelves are still decorated with sea shells and mounted specimens from far-off lands and he loves to tell the story of the octopus they caught in a bucket one day, which he thoroughly enjoyed studying before allowing him to swim away. One of the many lessons my dad taught me, and one which, I admit, I sometimes forget, is that there is always something to see and something more to be seen. For him, this habit of curious observation is just part of how he lives life; for me, anxiety and a cluttered mind sometimes get in the way and I need to consciously remind myself to adjust my posture.
Of course, the Things of the Universe are beautiful on their own, like the Red Eft - the first we’ve seen near our home. Hopefully, it will someday grow into an Eastern Newt (sometimes called the Red-Spotted Newt). It will retain those lovely red spots, but the orange background will darken into a camo green-brown. Maybe this guy is thinking of taking up residence in our pond and helping the dragonflies eat lots of mosquitoes! But who might prey on him there? We have mud turtles in that pond. There used to be a great blue heron that visited every morning, though we haven’t seen him in a couple of years - hmmm… maybe that’s why we are seeing the eft for the first time. I wonder who else might show up in the absence of the heron. Who else lives in that community? I wonder who the eft’s cousins and ancestors are. I wonder how the eft’s habitat and descendants will be affected by agricultural activities near our home. The ebb and flow of life, its delicate balance, and breath-taking order, come into view for the natural historian who continually practices the habit of seeing more. We never get to see all of the dance; we only get to glimpse phrases that reveal particular relationships. But each of these revealed relationships is an invitation to deepen our knowledge of ourselves and of the One who created all:
“For it became him who created them [atomic or subatomic particles] to set them in order: and if he did so, it is unphilosophical to seek for any other Origin of the World, or to pretend that it might arise out of a Chaos by the mere Laws of Nature.” -Isaac Newton
How do you maintain a posture of curious observation in your life and as an educator? Share your thoughts in the comments section of this Fabulous Friday post!
Notes
1. CORE: Registration for the CORE summer cohorts is open! Classes are likely to sell out, so don’t delay in registering.
2. Office Hours: Please join us next week on Wednesday, April 24th from 3:30-4:30 EST for a discussion about science with Danielle Merrit-Sunseri. Please post your questions for Danielle in this Hive Event by noon on Tuesday, April 23.
3. CMI Virtual Ticket Announcement: Virtual Tickets will be available on May 1st. For $49, you’ll get access to all five keynote sessions, a selection of breakout sessions, a virtual swag bag, a special giveaway for virtual attendees, and more. Sign up here to be notified when tickets are available.
4. Common Place Quarterly: For only $25/year, you can enjoy digital access to all 25 back issues of CPQ, plus those coming out this year! Use code: CMIdigital25 at checkout.
5. Class of 2024: We would love to celebrate with you! Share a picture of your graduate and a favorite Alveary memory for us to highlight on social media and the Hive!
6. Our Work: We have an update on Lulu printing quality. We have ensured all image sizes are appropriate for good print quality. However, it is important to note that Lulu cannot guarantee high-quality prints in their orders with the ink settings (standard) we use to keep our costs reasonable for our members. If you would like high-quality art prints, we recommend you order these prints separately through another printer. As a reminder, these books come in several versions. Our PDF and editable Canva templates are included in your 2024-2025 membership. You can also purchase coil-bound or perfect-bound copies from Lulu. Information and links for all versions can be found on your member dashboard in the resources section of the programs (See “Order books”).
7. Purple House Press: New releases of classic books for kids and young adults are on sale until the end of the month! Check them out here.
