Transformative Tools

As reported in The New York Times, At Haverford, Tossing It All in Name of Teaching, Tom Donnelly employs the following experiential learning moment with the Haverford College cross-country team.

This first Donnelly team attended a preseason high school camp in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. One night, in the dark, Donnelly took the team out for a walk. 

“It was pitch black and all these Philly kids were way out of their element as we walked along following my single flashlight,” Donnelly said. “Suddenly, I turned off the flashlight. I waited about 10 seconds, and when I turned it back on, they were all huddled together, trying to find some strength or courage in a close group. And I said to them, this is how a team works. If you come together, you will get through the times when you really need each other.”

Once, the villagers invited Mulla Nasruddin to deliver a lecture on spiritual matters.

When he got on the pulpit, he found the audience was not very enthusiastic, so he asked “Do you know what I am going to say?”

The audience replied “No”, so he announced “I have no desire to speak to people who don’t even know what I will be talking about” and he left.

The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day.

Once again he asked the same question - “Do you know what I am going to say?”

This time when he asked the same question, the people replied “Yes” So Mullah Nasruddin said, “Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won’t waste any more of your time” and he left.

Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited the Mullah to speak the following week.

Once again he asked the same question - “Do you know what I am going to say?”

Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered “Yes” while the other half replied “No”. So Mullah Nasruddin said “The half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half” and he left!

I clasp the stem of time,

then let madness be my guide.

Adonis (Syria)

A man once came to the Mullah Nasruddin. “Mullah,” he said, “let me borrow your clothesline.”

“I can’t,” said the Mullah. “I’m using it to dry flour.”

The man looked shocked. “You can’t dry flour on a clothesline. That’s hardly a good reason not to lend it to me.”

Said the Mullah, “Since I didn’t want to lend it anyway, it’s reason enough.”

hat tip to source: Episcopal Chaplain at the Bedside