Assignment #9: Love in our Schools, Classrooms and Communities by

zivrossi — 2022-10-21 21:14:16 UTC

Love is an act of will, both an intention and an action. The will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth. Love is an action, never simply a feeling. …It is an ethic, where we openly and honestly express care, affection, responsibility, respect, commitment, and trust to ourselves and our community.
- bell hooks

Love as a Practice of Freedom by bell hooks

zivrossi — 2022-10-21 21:14:59 UTC

Outrageous Love by Dr. Sharroky Hollie

zivrossi — 2022-10-21 21:17:34 UTC

zivrossi — 2022-10-25 02:44:50 UTC

Watch the two videos above where Dr. Sharroky Hollie speaks on his thinking around "outrageous love". What is one example of "outrageous love" that you have witnessed this year in your classroom? Please post below:

zivrossi — 2022-10-25 02:45:42 UTC

What do you find central to bell hook's idea as love as a practice of freedom? Of an ethic of love? How do we have redefine "love" in educational spaces to practice this idea of freedom? Post response below:

zivrossi — 2022-10-25 02:51:50 UTC

If we want to love outrageously, we have to live it and do it. Love is an action. We need to take action to really love.

2023-06-05 04:29:12 UTC

People fight for rights for one group, while supporting the domination of another group. People fighting for black rights need to fight for women’s rights, and vice versa. If we really want freedom, we need to support/love everyone who is marginalized. Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X both focused on love ethic. “A culture of domination is anti-love. It requires violence to sustain itself. To choose love is to go against the prevailing values of the culture.” We need to find our blind spots and learn to love everyone. When we love everyone, we will be free.

2023-06-05 04:29:36 UTC

One example of Outrageous Love that I have witnessed this year was from my coworker. One student highly impacted by autism was really struggling in the classroom. He was really frustrated he couldn’t get what he wanted and couldn’t communicate it to us, so the student would get escalated, and the environment would become unsafe. My coworker showed this student so much love and gave him a routine to follow, and helped him learn to communicate his needs. Now, he is calm and happy in the classroom all day.

2023-06-05 04:30:02 UTC

bell hooks sees love as a practice of freedom, emphasizing its transformative potential. Love, for hooks, goes beyond emotions and becomes an active commitment to care, empathy, and liberation. In educational spaces, redefining "love" as a practice of freedom means creating compassionate and inclusive environments where students feel respected and their diverse experiences are valued. It involves challenging power dynamics, dismantling oppressive structures, and amplifying marginalized voices.

2023-06-28 05:30:12 UTC

An example of this I saw this last year was a student who was skipping classes and really struggling emotionally and making poor choices. My co-worker continued to follow up with this student and check in with her. She was direct and asked questions that other adults were too uncomfortable to ask. She went beyond to show the student that she was cared for and had support and by the end of the year she was in class and doing so much better.

2023-06-28 05:49:50 UTC

Love is an action. Love is when you want more for someone that you had. You give them to the tools to get to the highest places but also acknowledge what they need to get there. Love is not a word- its action.

2023-07-27 20:21:25 UTC

2023-07-27 21:20:36 UTC

I am not sure how to respond to this post. I believe we should love our students because they are kids and young, naive, and innocent. But as a Muslim Arab American, do you want me to love the people who call me a terrorist or who judge me and think I am oppressed for choosing to wear a hijab, or who yells at me to go back to my country? I respect Martin Luther King but I think his message has been whitewashed and watered down as he is the acceptable black man that message of forgiving white racist people back in the day because Jesus Christ said love your neighbor. Loving and forgiving everyone no matter what they have done to you is not part of every religion and culture so will I love my individual students and do all I can for them- yes, but can I unconditionally 'love' my enemy or people who see me as their enemy- no. Can we ask a Jewish person from the concentration camps to love an SS officer- I hope not. I might have totally missed this, but in my own school, I have been dismissed and my opinions and feelings were ignored and no one cared to love me- not that is ok, but be aware of it.

Malcolm X is not mentioned in elementary and barely in middle and high school because he didn't have the message of love your enemy. He wanted black people to love and respect themselves and depend on themselves and that might make mainstream education, and people in power feel uncomfortable and God forbid that. That's why he was assassinated, and Dr. King was assassinated too because he wanted black people to have more financial and political freedom- they weren't assassinated out of love. I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I have a different view.

2023-07-27 21:35:10 UTC

An example of outrageous love was this year, a student was with me in a reading group in the beginning of the year. This student was always sad but in my group he talked, participated and seemed ok. I couldn't tell if he liked the group or not but he did talk about his dad who had just passed away from covid a lot. He didn't talk to his classroom teacher about it. In the middle of the year he got qualified for SPED and was started to be served by the SPED teachers. He got very sad and would cry walking to his new group. He wanted to be back with me and our group. I spoke to the principal and SPED teachers about having him back in my group even though I wasn't a SPED teacher- but I make sure to work on his IEP goals so that he could be in a place where he was happy and learning. I was told I didn't have to have him in group anymore, but I wanted him to be back where he was happy and wanted to learn, and he came back and did as good as he could do. I think that is an example of the outrageous love I have for my students.

Love you what you have for your kids; the ones that are not yours by birth, but who have captured a part of your heart forever; the love that comes with the frustration, laughter, growth, pursuits and tears that you share.

2023-08-04 16:22:23 UTC

Bell focuses on purely supporting others for what they are, no reservations. Committing to support, champion, listen with empathy and welcome all others you interact with. Standing up for others even if and especially when challenges power and oppressive persons/entities.

2023-08-04 16:28:38 UTC

2023-08-04 16:43:28 UTC

Last year I had a student that came with mental challenges and the propensity to burst into anger and violence, given this information and the presence of industrial equipment in my classroom lab, I asked that an aid accompany her. Expressing Outrageous love gave us the opportunity to form a friendship and bond. She now visits me daily telling me all about what she is excited for, anxious for and how things are going.

Love is supporting those around you unconditionally. It is providing support physically, emotionally, and spiritually in a way that gives them strength. Love is checking your biases to put the needs of others before what you think they need. It's hard, it takes work, and it is intentional.

2023-08-06 00:47:16 UTC

2023-08-06 01:24:13 UTC

Love as a practice of freedom because a choice is being made not being held down or controlled by the oppressors, the dominators. Giving yourself the choice to love in those situations is freedom because having a choice is being free. However, I do not think you have to choose love. I do not believe you have to love the people who are terrorizing your life or community or values. Should those carrying out genocide across the world deserve to be loved? Should I love someone who is trying to control my body, my choices, my rights? I also see firsthand how Dr. King’s belief “that love is "ultimately the only answer" to the problems facing this nation and the entire planet.” Harms those in who are in abusive or unhealthy relationships. The idea that you must love or should love is not freedom, giving yourself permission to love is.

In educational spaces it is crucial we create an environment where people have choices, have the ability to speak their truths and feel supported. I will teach my students to support each other and create an environment where everyone is valued. I want them to know their voice is heard, supported, and a crucial part of our community. I will love my students but I will not force them to love each other. By doing that you area taking away their freedom.

2023-08-06 01:37:52 UTC

One example of outrageous love in my classroom was from students. I just have to shout out how amazing these kiddos were. I had two students who every single day came into my class with the biggest smile on their face. These were fifth grade boys and they basically skipped everywhere they went. Everyday they chose to sit by someone new and always asked them how they were doing. I am sure this assignment was about how teachers or educators showed outrageous love, but they were kids I learned so much from. They never let anyone feel less than a million bucks when they sat or worked with them. They were the definition of what it was to start fresh every day.

“To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients — care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication.” — bell hooks

2023-08-07 05:10:49 UTC

To truly love, we must have the skill set and mindset needed to outrageously love our students.

Collectivism versus individualism

2023-08-07 05:19:44 UTC

Many people of color come from collectivist societies, meaning that we believe in the importance of the peace and harmony of the collective as a whole over our individual happiness/harmony. While there are pros and cons to this mindset, overall, collectivist societies are more able to stand together to do what is right for the greater good of the collective society. For example, in Japan and other Asian cultures, people often wear masks when they are sick in order to not spread the virus to others. Their concern for others is the reason they were a mask and not their concern for protecting themselves as much (pre-covid). However, in the US, it was very hard for a lot of people to wear a mask when studies were showing that wearing a mask was helpful in keeping others safe. When we use love as a way to care for others, not just ourselves, we can protect and change more systems collectively than if we are just trying to change systems for our own gain.

2023-08-07 06:16:01 UTC

One example of outrageous love was when we noticed a student only bringing bread as a lunch when we went of a field trip. This student had a lot of struggles during the school year but her teacher still cared for her. She made sure that this student was able to get a school lunch for the remainder of the field trips they went on. The student usually had school lunch when they were at school.

2023-08-22 15:42:15 UTC

Bell Hooks talks about love as a means to liberation. Love is about active commitment to care, for empathy, and for supporting those around us. I think we can change our educational system to redefine love as creating a space for all students to feel cared for. Where their voices are amplifies. Where their identities are valued, respected, and shared. Where true history is being taught in order to support them with the changing history of tomorrow.

2023-08-22 16:06:08 UTC

One example of outrageous love I witnessed this past year came from one of my students. I had a student who had high emotions and struggled with his friendships. One of my other students always came to this student in a calm voice and calm body and asked them to work together, asked them to play, and helped them when they got confused on lessons or assignments. This student found ways to reach this student that others, staff included, couldn't do.

2024-03-15 15:37:18 UTC

Love is connection. There's a need to tap into love for yourself to be able to love others, especially within difficult circumstances.

Love is having a warm heart and and open mind.

2024-03-18 18:22:54 UTC

Hooks expresses that love is a practice of freedom because it is a choice and hasn't been supported in society and throughout history. People don't know how to love or even know what love is, therefore feel emotionally lost in a world that doesn't value human life, but materialism and politics instead.

2024-03-19 14:53:26 UTC

"A love ethic emphasizes the importance of service to others." That's what education is all about. Not only are we teaching academics, but as teachers we are teaching our students compassion toward one another and the communities in which we live. We teach students how to work together; how to problem solve; how to share their voice and value others'; the importance of self awareness, self love and love for others, as we validate and support their visions for a better world.

2024-03-19 14:53:30 UTC

In the past few weeks, I've really realized how students lack the skills to engage in casual conversations and greetings in the hallway or the classroom. I can greet 27 students as they walk into a classroom and maybe 2 of them would acknowledge me. I'm not sure if it's because they are shy, tired or just don't know how to respond.

2024-03-19 15:03:54 UTC

Their classroom teacher and I have been working hard to practice this skill, transferring the importance of social interactions in the real world and this idea of "showing love," whether through a smile, a wave or short dialogue. We're building students to be positive, active community members in school and out, building their confidence and encouraging them to have that "swag" that exudes excellence.

2024-03-19 15:04:00 UTC

2024-03-20 00:30:23 UTC

Love is friendship. It is caring deeply for another. Love is accepting and honest.

2024-03-20 00:58:51 UTC

I feel love as a practice of freedom includes the idea to choose love will lead to liberation and transformation. Without an ethic of love, motivation for change is self-centered and rooted in self interest. Redefining love in educational spaces could include building awareness around blind spots, teaching love by modeling and showing love with intention, teaching acceptance, inclusion, and compassion.

2024-03-20 01:36:52 UTC

An example of outrageous love this year has been getting to know a new friend who has lots of needs and requires lots of support. I have let go of some of my expectations around behavior, allowing this buddy to wander the room as I teach, sit on my lap as I do a read aloud, listening to what his behavior is showing he needs. This of course was done with supportive colleagues who worked together to wrap this child up and do our best to help him feel loved, important, and valued.

To see someone as they are, for all that they are, is to love. Love is unconditional and self-sacrificing. It is active, it is a choice, it is what ties us all together.

stewartreb — 2024-08-21 23:17:49 UTC

stewartreb — 2024-08-21 23:29:29 UTC

What powerful sentiments spoken by bell hooks. Without love, we cannot ever achieve any of the justice we set out to create in the world. Without love, we end up continually trapped in the tribalism that keeps us from achieving peace and the benefit of all. We have to be mindful of how our own backgrounds lead us to fight for one cause or another. Therefore we as educators need to truly love our students by advocating for the voices of all, not just a few. We also can transform our classrooms by creating safe spaces for our students to be able to grieve the injustice they receive or witness.

stewartreb — 2024-08-21 23:44:58 UTC

I had the joy of watching my students embrace each other with outrageous love last year. We had a blind student in our classroom community. Just a few weeks into the year, students had begun to knock on objects around the classroom to give the student sound cues when moving around the year. They also dived into learning braille alongside my blind student. One of the most memorable moments was when one of my students brought in a birthday card for my blind student. She and her mom had gone to the craft store for gems, and made the birthday card in braille out of the gems. It was such a tender moment in which one student truly saw the other, and met them where they were. I will always remember that moment.

olivert41 — 2025-08-15 22:24:33 UTC

Love is willingly accepting people for who they are in that exact moment and time. Love is not always easy and requires effort and communication to continue healthy relationships with one another.

olivert41 — 2025-08-15 22:47:56 UTC

Bell's central idea is that as a society, we are trapped in a state of everyone trying to "do better" but in actuality, we're stuck. Individual groups are focused on their individual struggles, which hinders everyone collectively doing better. In order to leave the world a better place we need to be able to empathize with others and work together to improve everyone's lives. Educationally speaking, every year I have a love for all of my students. Throughout the year I do not always love their actions or choices they make, but my job is to continue to love them how they come to me, as is, and help them become better people through the good and bad and ups and downs.

olivert41 — 2025-08-15 23:22:26 UTC

One example of outrageous love in my classroom this past year involved an English Language Learner. This student was brand new to the US and had no formal education prior to this 5th grade setting. He was a Spanish native speaker and knew no English. My English speaking students never let the language barrier interfere with their relationship with him. I watched as they taught him games on the playground and learned Spanish phrases to communicate with him. When my students asked me to use A.I. to "translate GaGa Ball rules in Spanish so he knows the official rules!" my heart was full. When we love people where they are in the moment, we show outrageous love.

twickham — 2025-09-21 16:53:51 UTC

I feel that one of the ideas that bell emphasizes is that through love, change is possible. The key is love for all, for the greater good, not just yourself. We must recognize our "blind spots" and focus on all those oppressed in order to bring about change. Bell refers to Scott Peck's definition of love as" the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nturing one's own or anther's spiritual growth." If we can extend this definition to all groups, we can bring about change.

twickham — 2025-09-21 17:02:42 UTC

One example of outrageous love I saw last school year was through the act of an administrator reaching out to a student who had significant attendance issues. The administrator worked it out with the parent to go and pick up the student in the morning before school to help make sure they got to school. This was only successful because the administrator had built a relationship with the student and parent and earned their trust. The student’s attendance improved significantly. He needed to know someone cared about him, and it mattered if he showed up every day.

twickham — 2025-09-21 17:05:27 UTC

Love is when you are willing to give yourself wholly or sacrifice for another and expect nothing in return. Love is challenging, and we must continue to work at it or it will fade.

2025-11-25 06:26:17 UTC

I saw some love today as our school held family-teacher conferences. Our learning center teachers attended some 5th graders conferences; these teachers have known these kids since they were in kindergarten and have built such strong relationships over the years, with both the students and their families. It was special to see these teachers hold their last conference with these families and be able to speak on how much the students have grown academically, socially, emotionally, and just as young people. Its good for us to reflect on how long we've known kids so that we can recognize all their achievements.

2025-11-25 06:27:33 UTC

Love is care, connection, and seeing the humanity, dignity, and beauty in everyone.

tjcampbell4 — 2026-03-22 21:34:59 UTC

To heal the past wrong that has been done to African Americans we must show love and acceptance for who they are and what is important to them in their culture. White people have not stopped dominating and oppressing the African American. As defined by Bell Hooks. “Love is the acknowledging the needs of the spirit.” Literature of self-help books teach self-love and self - esteem but they do not provide the love which people reading these books are seeking. Martin Luther King taught the power that love has to make social systems change. In order for love to bring freedom of oppression we must grow in love and compassion for those who have gone through the injustices. We must first look at the reality of what hatred and violence we have put upon African Americans. Then we must go through the painful process of growing in compassion and love. We can do this by developing community where all can express themselves freely without judgement.

To heal the past wrong that has been done to African Americans we must show love and acceptance for who they are and what is important to them in their culture. White people have not stopped dominating and oppressing the African American. This cannot be done until we get past the idea that white people are the most deserving people of America.

In the classroom we can start by smiling and welcoming children and their parents. Also, we can listen to the needs of the parents and the children. Furthermore, we can listen to students interests, celebrate their uniqueness and get to know them over time. In addition, we can show love by listening and letting them express themselves culturally. This can be done by the teacher showing respect for how each student expresses themselves rather than telling them how they shouldn't act.

mewoolley — 2026-03-24 22:36:43 UTC

Love is seeing, acknowledging, welcoming, and taking time to know others. Love is being willing to surrender and serve. Love is putting the needs of others above one's own. Love is freedom.

mewoolley — 2026-03-24 22:42:04 UTC

According to Hooks, "Without love, our efforts to liberate ourselves and our world community from oppression and exploitation are doomed." We must act not only when we feel that our self-interest is threatened, but when we see oppression of others. This means we must be aware and willing to address our blind spots, which can only be done in community. We must expand our care for others.

mewoolley — 2026-03-24 22:44:38 UTC

Hollie emphasizes the importance of an open mind and a warm heart. Students deserve our best and need to be welcomed with warmth, love and respect. Teachers must pay attention to non-verbal communication.

2026-08-03 20:25:51 UTC

Love is radical respect. If we break the word 'respect' into its two parts, 're' - again, and 'spect' - to see, we can interpret this important word to mean 'look again'. To love someone is to look at them again and again, seeking to see and accept them for who they are to a radical and outrageous understanding.

2026-08-03 20:31:12 UTC

According to bell hooks, an ethic of love or love as a practice of freedom requires the context of a community, the longing for collective transformation, and service to others. All of these things strengthen our capacity for compassion and insight, which reciprocally help us love and serve others in a way that brings us liberation for ourselves and our communities.

2026-08-03 20:55:04 UTC

I had a 6th grade student this past year with special education needs who was struggling a lot with both academic and social behavior in my class. Because of her reading skills and math skills classes, she didn’t have any elective classes throughout the day, like choir or art. With my consent, she was unenrolled from science in order to give her the positive experience of an elective class, which she got to choose. Despite no longer seeing me in class every day, she showed me outrageous love by frequently coming to visit my room before lunch, picking up trash in the room in exchange for a sticker reward, and telling me everyday that she missed having me as a teacher. I think I can learn something from trying to emulate this loving attitude.