Altruistic.

Not the word I might have come up with.  Not a word I’d heard before in all of our efforts across the years to come up with words we want to be known by.   Not a word I tend to hear students using.   Not a word I hear friends and colleagues using that often.

Yet the group loved it.   IB proposed it initially and there’s this good, sincere energy around the table about it.   Having attended a high school whose motto (Non Sibi (not for self)) was addressed by creating lawyers and finance types whose yearly donations likely dwarf my salary, I was happy to hear the students talking about what this word might mean in our classroom.  The notion of selflessness held a surprising appeal.  I hope we can live up to this word.

Follow up: Did find this video that I hope to show next week.  And I think I have a book of Peter Singer essays that might have a piece or two that’s accessible.