Graduation Speech

This is the speech I made at Teton Science Schools Graduate Program commencement on Wednesday night.

July 30, 2008

On Monday evening the grad students and faculty had dinner at the wedding tree. As we sat on the ground eating burritos the conversation revolved around the question, “If you could be any bird in the world, what would you be?” They didn’t know it at the time, but that was the final assessment for their graduation from the program. If they could feel completely comfortable entertaining themselves by sitting as friends on a dusty hillside and imagining their lives as birds, then they passed. To be fair, they were naturalists from the start, but early year conversation such as this one would be followed by “Oh my gosh, we’re such geeks.” This time there was no awkward recognition of this funny side of being in love with nature. It was just natural. Congratulations my frigate bird and American Dipper friends. You did it.

If not to help people feel more comfortable sitting in the woods with friends admiring wildlife, what is our work about? Teton Science Schools’ mission is to connect people, nature, place, and education. The nice thing about this mission is that to some extent, everyone on the planet has already fulfilled it. If we’re thoughtful enough, we’ll realize just how connected we are. The challenge is helping people realize this so that it becomes part of their every day awareness and actions. So how can we tell if we’re making these connections? How does our connection to people, nature, and place relate to the decisions we make as consumers and stewards of Earth? What does it look like if someone is connected to people nature and place? It looks like this group of people right here. I’ve had the pleasure of thinking about how the class of 2008 has connected people nature, place, and education and how they’ve helped me, the faculty, and their students do the same.

Graduate students, you excel at what you do. I thought of a few reasons why and want to celebrate them with you. And for those of you who have received an evaluation from me, my format will be familiar. These are the celebrations. You do these things already, and you do them well. These are the things I urge you to continue to do as you move forward in your role as wise scientists and educators.

#1. Less is more.
Do one thing at a time and do it well. Strive for richness through depth. Spend a whole day answering one question. Sit in one place and look at one thing. Reduce your mind’s clutter. Know what you want to say and then say it. Do this for your students and for yourself.
People are afraid of simplicity in education. But the best lessons and the most extraordinary things in the world are the simplest. Start with what is in front of you and don’t go anywhere else unless you have to. You have everything you need.

#2. Have fun.
I’ve struggled with this one, but have come to a place of clarity. Should fun be one of our objectives? Is it our job to help others have fun? Shouldn’t learning which is sometimes uncomfortable and challenging be our priority? What would John Dewey say? I’ve learned that fun is important because at the end of the day students remember more how they felt than what they learned. In fact, I believe that goes for everyone, whether they are a student in the formal sense of the word or not. The hope, of course, is to make learning and fun one and the same. Our brains work better when we laugh. It took me a while to realize that however dialed my lesson was and however important I felt my learning goals were, they paled in comparison to how valuable a few hearty belly laughs can be for the spirit of a field group. Laughter in school is too rare. My images of teachers are cluttered by grumpy people who take information far too seriously. Please continue to provide an alternative to these teachers. Just once, say you’re going to have a test and then cancel it and decide to play games all class instead. You will not fall behind. Find a way to help students learn and enjoy the process. Teach your students about the health benefits of laughter. Allow yourself to laugh at your mistakes. I dare you to play Peou Peou in your next work place.

#3. Be Honest.
Anne Lindbergh says “Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.” Try as hard as you can to free yourself from the script you feel you’re supposed to be reading from. Model clear, direct, and compassionate communication for your students. Expect the same from them. Stay in the here and now as much as possible. Practice being completely honest even with the little things. If someone makes you happy, tell them. They might think you’re hitting on you and squirm, but see how it feels. Communicating openly is challenging, but I believe strongly that the things we don’t say drive more of our leadership decisions than the things we do. Find the undercurrent of emotion and name it even if it’s scary. Your gut is worthy of a voice. Being transparent and raw with your inner voice frees others to do the same. How great does it feel to let your guard down? Strive for this synergy in communication and you will find both freedom and intimacy.

#4. Decide what you really care about.
I know you all care about the natural world. Your love of natural history and the scientific underpinnings of our place is clear. This passion makes caring inevitable.

Do you remember what Mardy Murie says at the end of that short video we show during Murie programs? She says “I believe you’re only half a person unless you care about something. It’s important to care.”
What do you care about? What are you going to do about it? How will you encourage others to find their mission and voice? Will you succeed? Will you try?

#5. Be extraordinary.
When I say be extraordinary I’m not suggesting that you be a superhero, bizarre, or overly competitive. I just mean don’t be ordinary. Don’t be boring. Don’t settle for less that what you know you can do. Continue to ask yourself, if I was a student in my class, would I be into this? Find your own gift and use it. Listen to the advice that is given to you, but use it to supplement and mold what is uniquely yours. Don’t do this just for the sake of being extraordinary or novel. Do it because more than any instructional strategy we’ll ever invent, what really captivates people is pure authenticity. You will become more skilled at this if you free yourself from the fear of failing and the fear of being considered abnormal. The risk is that people won’t understand you or you’ll be different. The benefit is that you will be living in the moment and constructing experiences no one will ever replicate. This is truly memorable and is the essence of place based education. Use what’s in front of you in an immediate and relevant way.

What’s wonderful about this is that everyone has their own way to be extraordinary. It’s not scripted. Arthur Schopenhauer nailed it when he said, “We forfeit three fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people.” You can be extraordinary in so many ways.
Be extraordinary at looking around.
Be extraordinary at making eye contact.
Be extraordinary at saying good morning and really meaning it.
Be extraordinary at knowing yourself.
Be extraordinary in your awareness of instructional strategies, and equally extraordinary in your awareness of the mysteries of learning.
Be extraordinary at helping others see what is special about themselves.

Free yourself from fear of change and allow yourself to emerge into your own.


Thank you for sharing yourselves openly with me and the faculty, for trusting the process laid out for you, and for helping us all love and respect this place and one another more deeply. You have my deepest admiration and gratitude. Congratulations.