May each of us remember to share our stories with one another, because it is only through stories that we live full lives. -Luci Tapahonso, inaugural Navajo Nation Poet Laureate
Mattering is the sense that we are significant and important. Peter Felton and Heidi Weston’s research on mattering shows that mattering enables self-advocacy and advocacy for others and that mattering is “durable and transferable.”
Students know they matter when:
At Fort Lewis, student mattering is at the center of the curriculum. Our Liberal Arts Core curriculum allows students to build the foundation for their future. Many LAC classes include the teaching of a Transformative Text. FLC’s Transformative Texts speak to the themes of place, community, and self, and highlight the voices of diverse writers and scholars with a focus on Indigenous voices. Transformative Texts embody the importance of landscape as a metaphor and guiding principle for our students’ learning. Through the discussion of Transformative Texts, students learn the importance of stories and that they – and their stories - matter.
Transformative Texts form the foundation for the Landscapes of Learning course, enrich interdisciplinary learning in Liberal Arts Core Lens pairings, and offer opportunities for connection-making in First Year Launch courses.
If you are interested in teaching a Transformative Text in your LAC or FYL course, are interesting in teaching the Landscapes of Learning course, or want to read this year’s Transformative Texts, contact Candace Nadon, canadon@fortlewis.edu.