A while back I posted on the nature of relationships. Recently my theories have been put to the test.

Through the blogosphere I have come to know and appreciate Miguel Guhlin, a significantly more experienced Ed Tech blogger who has been kind enough to help me a good bit via comments and emails. He and I share certain commonalities, such as a love for all things Ed Tech, Linux, we both speak Spanish, and a love for Christ. So needless to say I have been blessed by forging a relationship (albeit strictly via email and comments) with Miguel.

I suppose what has affected me the most, however, and the reason I post this, is Miguel’s transparency regarding his current struggle. His father is currently in the hospital fighting for his life. Miguel’s most recent blog posts have brought me to tears. Is it because of the compelling nature of the story? No. It’s because I know him.

What gets me about all of this is that when one struggles with something, be it an ill family member, an addiction, or even the drama some of our students are going through, one typically relies on those physically around him or her. Five years ago, the idea of publishing your struggle was foreign to me. And so was the idea of grieving alongside someone I really don’t know terribly well.

I post this to highlight the change in our way of life. Our students are much more vocal about their problems and struggles, albeit they don’t verbalize them into the spoken word. They publish them. Does this mean that we as a society are getting more and more transparent? Or does it mean that all along we have hoped and dreamed for this chance to be known? I have heard it said that the greatest desire in life is to know and be known. Are our kids reaching out with a desire to be known?

I oft wonder if teachers don’t miss that sometimes. Our kids are making their presence known online much moreso than in any other medium, I would posit. And yet, most teachers do not involve themselves in the online worlds of our students. How much could we learn about our kids and what is going on in their hearts if we would only “plug in” a bit more?

I will grant you I dearly love reading ed tech blogs and thinking about all things open source and ed tech, but wouldn’t it serve my kids a bit more for me to spend some time reading their blog postings and wiki entries in a sort of between-the-lines manner? Shouldn’t I spend some time checking out their Myspace and/or Facebook profiles? My kids think they have created a walled garden inside the deepest realms of Myspace since parents (not to mention teachers) typically don’t enter those chambers. But shouldn’t we?

I go not with the purpose of disciplining the negative things I find but rather to give me insight into my kids’ hearts. For if I can touch but one heart and help to heal the hurt, haven’t I done a good thing?

I recently heard a presentation from a teacher here in my school who was a Fullbright Scholar and traveled to Japan this past summer. He brought back a copy of a document posted in each classroom entitled, “Education of the Heart”. The point to this is that schools in Japan recognize the crucial nature of the heart in the student. Do we?

Certainly we have programs called “Character Education” but is that really the same?

Relationships are changing.

Miguel, I’m praying for you.