Educators That Rock!: Michael Ryan
Michael Ryan is an 11th-grade English teacher at Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, Ore. He earned his master’s degree in education at the University of Florida and has been teaching for eight years.
When it came time to cover transcendentalism in class, Ryan was looking for a way to truly engage his students and make the material relevant to their lives. The Right Action project was the perfect answer. Developed by his friend and fellow Wilsonville High teacher, Jay Rishel, the Right Action project focuses on the principles of transcendentalism and asks students to make a positive change in their lives or their world.
“The kids LOVE this project, although it’s a test for many of them,” Ryan said. “They see their lives and identities as not being static but something that they have a great deal of control over.”
fE: What aspects of transcendentalism do you cover with your class?
MR: We study Thoreau, Whitman and Emerson and focus on the three principles of the transcendentalists: Unity (”We are part and particle of God and the universe”), Inwardness (”Self-Reliance” in all its forms), and Right Action.
fE: How did the Right Action project come about?
MR: The transcendentalists believed that action was more important than contemplation. The highest form of man was one who 1) accepted oneself as you were, 2) cultivated the observational powers and talents within you, and 3) believed in the self as the highest authority—’trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string’—we know what is right and wrong for us and within us.
So as a fun project, we challenge the students to trust themselves to make a positive change. They can select something that they know needs to be changed in their lives or in their world.
fE: Tell me how students accepted this challenge.
MR: In the “Simplicity! Simplicity” option, many selected to get rid of their cell phones for a week even though it was “OMG so hard.” Some decided to stay away from screens—TV, Internet or video games—for a week. A few decide to fast or only eat one meal a day for a couple days. One girl was drinking 12 cokes a day and decided to cut it down to one a day. More than a couple kids told me they were going to stop drinking or using drugs for good. Of course, I have to participate too, and I gave up my 20-year coffee addiction for two weeks—rough! But I learned a lot about myself.
fE: Did all students choose to make a change in their personal lives?
MR: No, some kids engaged in social action. Many volunteer at local soup kitchens or take a weekend with Habitat for Humanity. One student got the nerve to challenge his racist grandfather the next time he began spouting off about Mexicans. Another student came out of the closet. Another created small flyers entitled “Do you know where your food comes from?” and passed them out in front of grocery stores. The flyers were filled with industrial food industry facts culled from “Fast Food Nation.”
fE: Along with taking “Right Action,” do students document the experience in any way?
MR: It depends on the nature of the student’s project, though all of them are required to keep a journal. At the most basic level, the students write a paper detailing their experience—these can remain private if necessary. But some students opt to share their findings in project form. I’ve had some kids give presentations for the class, while others video documented their work.
fE: What do you think is the most important thing that students take away from this experience?
MR: The kids LOVE this project, although it’s a test for many of them. They see their lives and identities as not being static but something that they have a great deal of control over.
Michael Ryan’s Favorite Sites:
Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature
PBS: Race: The Power of an Illusion
Google Docs
