The School of Life is Always in Session

Back to School meets the School of Life

School is more than just a place to learn reading, writing and arithmetic! Life lessons are gained through the experience of living. Sometimes we have good teachers, who guide us in our growth by sharing their knowledge and techniques. Other times we learn from our peers about how to be our best selves with compassion and integrity. And sometimes it is circumstance, or we might call it fate, that inspires and challenges us to make the most of life.

This selection of films and television shows take place in institutions of learning, but have deeper, more spiritual life lessons to share as well. School is a great metaphor for our personal evolution. It reminds us we can’t reach our goals without making ourselves ready to live them. And just like in any good school, we have several subjects to focus our lessons upon: History and Religion, Poetry and Music, Mathematics and Science. Ready, set, study!

History (of Good and Evil)

Instructor: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

In every generation, there is a Slayer, and each one is assigned a Watcher, who instructs them in their supernatural duties in the battle between good and evil. Not only does the Watcher help their Slayer train in martial arts and self-defense, but assists in locating ancient sources of information that may help in the slaying of vampires and demons. While she defends the world from these dark forces, she attempts to do her homework and behave outwardly like a normal high school student.

Though not everyone can be a Slayer, we can learn important lessons from her experiences that love is worth fighting for, worth dying for, and most importantly, worth living for. We can all slay negativity by being a champion of good, and joining with fellow champions, to brighten our corner of the world.

Religious Studies (Practical Application Lab)

Instructor: Joan of Arcadia

Much like the historical Joan of Arc, this modern teen also hears the voice of God. But instead of the still, small voice heard in times of prayer, Joan finds herself in conversation with a person. Since it’s a different person each time, she never really knows for sure until they speak, and she hears not the words of a stranger, but someone who knows her very well. The show’s theme song, What If God Was One of Us? By Joan Osborne (another Joan!) is a perfect musical expression of this.

We can learn from her experiences that direct conversation with God wouldn’t necessarily make things simpler, and that God’s voice speaks to us through everyone we meet. As we go through our own daily lives, we can learn to remember that our every interaction can be sacred when we act as if we are in the presence of Divinity.

Music Performance

As Instructed by the cast of Glee

The magic of Glee comes not just from vocal performance or choreography, but in the celebration of the courage it requires to let your voice be heard. While being bold enough to sing solo is important, it is also valuable to listen, so that each of us can be part of a greater harmony. This is such a great metaphor for life, because it is only when we are bold enough to truly be ourselves that we can surround ourselves with people whose beliefs and expressions work with ours to create something greater than any one of us.

Glee is a colorful depiction of the journey we all take as we learn to be ourselves. Life can be challenging enough when we do what society expects of us, but when we follow our hearts and step outside of that expectation, it takes courage and passionate dedication to our goals.

Applied Mathematics

As Instructed by the cast of NUMB3RS

Numb3rs is a crime-solving series about two brothers: a mathematical genius and an FBI Agent. Based in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Charles Eppes lectures at the fictional Cal Sci (modeled after Caltech).

While Charlie’s astrophysicist mentor offers a cosmic and often spiritual scientific perspective, his girlfriend is a fellow mathematician whose family is from India, whose cultural insights often come in handy. But at the heart of the story is the love between family members, and the bonds we create that allow us to add to our families of origin, to create extended families of choice.

“Math is nature's language: its method of communicating directly with us. Everything is numbers,” he explains, “Math is more than formulas or equations… it's using your mind to solve the biggest mysteries we know.”

Numb3rs reminds us that science offers us more ways to understand the language of the Universe.

Poetry as Philosophy

As Instructed by the cast of The Dead Poet’s Society

“Carpe Diem!” The Latin phrase meaning “Seize the Day” is the theme of this story in which New England boarding school students in the 1950s learn to follow their passions rather than maintaining the status quo. Their teacher wants to do more than teach them to follow instructions, but to inspire and empower them to think for themselves and make their lives extraordinary.

Inside and outside the classroom of Professor Keating, we learn that it takes not only courage, but integrity and responsibility to live our dreams. If we temper our choices with wisdom, we can be a shining beacon that leads the way for others. Part of wisdom is remembering that our actions effect those around us. We may not know what the consequences of our actions may be, but if we are authentic and responsible, we can meet them head on and go on to seize another day.

Physics

Instructor: Jeremy “Powder” Reed

An albino teen loses his cocooned existence in a basement library of his family farmhouse when his grandfather passes away. In the world outside, he is finally able to see and experience what he has only read about, but his pale skin attracts negative attention. When he begins exhibiting the ability to memorize everything he reads, manipulate electricity, or share a psychic link with others, the people of the small town begin to fear him.

Powder teaches us that we are all human, we need not be ruled by our fears when we meet someone who is different from us.

“Inside most people there's a feeling of being separate, separated from everything…they're not,” Powder explained to a friend. “They're part of absolutely everyone, and everything.”

When we live from the conscious awareness that we are all connected, then we can find compassion for others and truly experience peace on Earth.