It’s Mark Gordon, ye ole’ teacher. Hope this finds you well. Surprisingly, lost class videos recently resurfaced and has motivated me to reach out and share some news. Before I do, a couple hits from the videos. I re-realized how important it was that we shared a safe space and used it to grow together. The kindnesses, care, and goofiness I witnessed, and participated in, gives me hope today. Thank you!
Quick Catch Up
I now live far, far away in the magnificent beauty of the Inland Northwest. I’m fortunate to have surrounded myself with the things I love. I live simply, even primitively, with very few entitlements. Nature is my teacher. It has challenged me to the core. Face to face with a bear. Lost in a blizzard. Or, a wildfire getting uncomfortably close. Yet, Nature has privileged me by sharing some of its secrets. The “inconveniences” are minor in comparison to the joy, wonder and peace I experience living here. There’s no more primal feeling than than the warm th of a wood stove fire w hen to warm up the bones after being in the wintry elements. I’m currently sitting next to the wood heat stove. The wonder with the never ending creativity of what we call sunsets or marveling at the clear night sky. It’s simple stuff. Basic stuff.
Get to the News!
Ok, for the last 12 years, a group of former students, and now colleagues, have created the nonprofit KuriosityLab.Org. Our mission continues to be the same but to go deeper: to learn new tools and practices — based on science — to discover how and where we feel in rhythm and most like ourselves (still dancing daily and playing ball). But as grateful as I feel personally, I’ve never been more upset professionally.
Nearly 40% of all high school students in 2023 were in a state of, “Persistent sadness and hopelessness.” Two in every five! It’s an invisible and deadly plague that’s killing our young’s spirit. Sound familiar? And the insanity is that so much of the suffering is unnecessary. If students were taught how to identify and practice simple techniques… And every time you practice, it’s hard to be depressed. For instance,, humans are inherently programmed to learn by “mistake.” How many times did it take to walk or talk? Yet, students are being punished in school, home, and society because of how our species naturally learns. Instead of “mistake,” if we used “experiment and modify” the guilt, shame, and blame could begin to vanish. We would make more experiments.
Our response has been to create a game: “Questions They Didn’t Ask in High School.” It’s based on the science of learning as well as topics we discussed in class. We believe it’s a starter kit in becoming your own best friend — which may be the most important skill of all. Plug: it’s an enjoyable and healing holiday gift and available on our website.
The latest news is that a former student has gifted the Kuriosity Lab with professional broadcasting equipment and requested that I do a podcast. So, I’m learning. It’s also called “Questions They Didn’t Ask in High School” and can be found at KuriosityLab.org and on YouTube. We’ll be adding more if there’s interest
So, please invite anyone who might be interested to check out the podcast and website. Confession: being a social media Neanderthal, I’ve lost contact with many folk, so please reach out and invite them.
Although the odds aren’t in our favor, I believe deeply that we can win against this darkness. Got a light?