We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
~President Abraham Lincoln from his First Inaugural Address in 1861.
What did Abraham Lincoln mean by the better angels of our nature? William Shakespeare apparently first coined the term. By the time President Lincoln spoke of it, the country was deeply divided.
…“our better angels” was a figure of speech familiar to many citizens of the United States. The phrase would have called forth the notions of enlightened, calm, and virtuous judgment—the best guides to sensible and honorable conduct in any person or nation.
During this perilous time for the country and education, and during this season meant for coming together and caring for each other, as this year comes to a close, we should look to the better angels of our nature when it comes to schools.
Teachers
Americans must make sound decisions based on science when it comes to opening CONTINUE READING: Education’s “Better Angels of Our Nature” During a Pandemic
