Practicing Silence in the Classroom

While leading the high school students of my Intensive Reading class through what our text calls, “Sources of Wisdom,” a unit which includes short passages from the primary texts of several religions, I was able to spend some time explaining the significance of intentional silence, as I feel it is integral to many faith practices. According to our literature textbook, the guidelines of Zen Buddhism are “meditation and self-discipline.” So on Zen Buddhism Day, after reading the text, I challenged them saying, “If you really want to be radical, create a space for quiet reflection amidst the constant hyper-stimulation of our culture!” After receiving their approval, I initiated two minutes of silence, allowing them to spend their time a) in a form of silent prayer belonging to one of the faith traditions we had studied, or b) slowing down, simply resting in a time of reflection apart from ambitions or goals. I’m not sure I really expected our quiet time to go smoothly; I was certain several students would recognize it as a prime opportunity to act out and steal our attention. Instead, what happened, I think, was a move of the Spirit. Sure, I had to endure a couple of remarks and giggles afterwards about how “strange” or “funny” I looked, sitting in my chair in the front of the room, facing them with my eyes closed, but these comments were also accompanied by: “Hey, I liked that! Can we do this everyday?” and “How about two more minutes?” I think now about those Buddhist monks who committed their lives to prayer and reflection, wondering if they had any idea a bunch of high school brats could find something valuable--if only for a minute or two--in their way of life.

--Daniel Sartin