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News & Photos
Teacher brings Kingian nonviolence training to McDonogh
Sophomore Kim H. interviewed fourth grade teacher George Webb, a certified Kingian nonviolence trainer, for an article in The Week. Posted on the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, the story follows.
Did you know that non-violence and nonviolence have two completely different meanings? Or that there are workshops about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophies and learning how to teach them? I didn’t know these either until my interview with fourth grade teacher George Webb about Kingian Nonviolence.
For those of you who don’t know Mr. Webb, he is one of the two male teachers in the Lower School. Or, if that didn't help you, he is the “guy with the dreadlocks.” Mr. Webb has been teaching at McDonogh since 2005, and during his time at McDonogh he has contributed so much to our school.
Two years ago, Mr. Webb went on a Civil Rights tour with a man who worked with Dr. King, and learned a great deal through the tour. Mr. Webb says of Dr. King that there is much more to him than what we learn in school, movies, and books. He was actually a bit of a rebel. It was this tour that inspired Mr. Webb to study at the two-week training program at University of Rhode Island, where he learned Dr. King’s philosophies and how to apply them. When I asked him how he would describe this training, he simply answered “intense,” with a laugh. He also says that the training changes the way you think after learning about this philosophy.
Because Mr. Webb took the training course, he is now certified to teach Dr. King’s philosophies. Mr. Webb has already trained several Lower School teachers, and so far he is pleased with the results. The training sessions for teachers included one Saturday and one Wednesday for six weeks. Mr. Webb recalled, "It was great because some of the teachers really took hold and immediately applied it to the classroom.” Satisfied with the outcomes within Lower School, Mr. Webb plans to bring Kingian Nonviolence to every division of the school. “First I’d like to introduce it to the Black Awareness Club, and then gradually to the rest of the school,” says Mr. Webb.
This month, Mr. Webb plans to train the entire fourth grade. Obviously the training won’t be as intense, so Mr. Webb plans to teach the children the principles of the philosophy that will empower them to embody these principles in their lives and teach others through their actions.
According to Mr. Webb, there are three keys to successful application of this philosophy. The first involves looking through a different perspective. Mr. Webb explained, “If you put yourself into another person’s shoes and pretend you are the other person, then you get a different perspective. You also get an insight into yourself and the other person.” Understanding values is another key. “If you address issues in a calm and peaceful manner, you will get an understanding of the other person’s values, and they will understand yours, so it will make resolving the issue easier.” Dialogue is the third key, and Mr. Webb said that you have to understand the person’s issues and where they are coming from.
As I was writing notes during our interview, Mr. Webb noticed my spelling of the word "non-violence.” He told me that there was no hyphen when spelling it. When I looked confused, he explained the difference between “nonviolence” and “non-violence.” “Nonviolence,” he said, is a philosophy and resistance to evil ” like Dr. King’s. Non-violence is just “passiveness.”
Mr. Webb’s manner of speaking just might epitomize Kingian Nonviolence— calm, thoughtful, understanding, and ideal for a teacher and for us all. If you want to learn more about Kingian Nonviolence, you can e-mail Mr. Webb through First Class, or you can go to www.uri.edu and search for Dr. Lafayette, the leader of the tour and the training.
Sophomore Kim H. interviewed fourth grade teacher George Webb, a certified Kingian nonviolence trainer, for an article in The Week. Posted on the national observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, the story follows.
Did you know that non-violence and nonviolence have two completely different meanings? Or that there are workshops about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophies and learning how to teach them? I didn’t know these either until my interview with fourth grade teacher George Webb about Kingian Nonviolence.
For those of you who don’t know Mr. Webb, he is one of the two male teachers in the Lower School. Or, if that didn't help you, he is the “guy with the dreadlocks.” Mr. Webb has been teaching at McDonogh since 2005, and during his time at McDonogh he has contributed so much to our school.
Two years ago, Mr. Webb went on a Civil Rights tour with a man who worked with Dr. King, and learned a great deal through the tour. Mr. Webb says of Dr. King that there is much more to him than what we learn in school, movies, and books. He was actually a bit of a rebel. It was this tour that inspired Mr. Webb to study at the two-week training program at University of Rhode Island, where he learned Dr. King’s philosophies and how to apply them. When I asked him how he would describe this training, he simply answered “intense,” with a laugh. He also says that the training changes the way you think after learning about this philosophy.
Because Mr. Webb took the training course, he is now certified to teach Dr. King’s philosophies. Mr. Webb has already trained several Lower School teachers, and so far he is pleased with the results. The training sessions for teachers included one Saturday and one Wednesday for six weeks. Mr. Webb recalled, "It was great because some of the teachers really took hold and immediately applied it to the classroom.” Satisfied with the outcomes within Lower School, Mr. Webb plans to bring Kingian Nonviolence to every division of the school. “First I’d like to introduce it to the Black Awareness Club, and then gradually to the rest of the school,” says Mr. Webb.
This month, Mr. Webb plans to train the entire fourth grade. Obviously the training won’t be as intense, so Mr. Webb plans to teach the children the principles of the philosophy that will empower them to embody these principles in their lives and teach others through their actions.
According to Mr. Webb, there are three keys to successful application of this philosophy. The first involves looking through a different perspective. Mr. Webb explained, “If you put yourself into another person’s shoes and pretend you are the other person, then you get a different perspective. You also get an insight into yourself and the other person.” Understanding values is another key. “If you address issues in a calm and peaceful manner, you will get an understanding of the other person’s values, and they will understand yours, so it will make resolving the issue easier.” Dialogue is the third key, and Mr. Webb said that you have to understand the person’s issues and where they are coming from.
As I was writing notes during our interview, Mr. Webb noticed my spelling of the word "non-violence.” He told me that there was no hyphen when spelling it. When I looked confused, he explained the difference between “nonviolence” and “non-violence.” “Nonviolence,” he said, is a philosophy and resistance to evil ” like Dr. King’s. Non-violence is just “passiveness.”
Mr. Webb’s manner of speaking just might epitomize Kingian Nonviolence— calm, thoughtful, understanding, and ideal for a teacher and for us all. If you want to learn more about Kingian Nonviolence, you can e-mail Mr. Webb through First Class, or you can go to www.uri.edu and search for Dr. Lafayette, the leader of the tour and the training.