What Does Essence Mean?

Luminescent jellyfish pulsed their way effortlessly across the movie screen at the front of the conference room and demonstrated their mastery of softness. With this backdrop, the discussion moderator, Ursula Smith, posed the question, “What does essence mean to you?” Teachers chimed in with answers to “Where do you find examples of essence?” and “How do you communicate essence to your students?” One hundred fifteen teachers shared a kaleidoscope of thoughts, clearly indicating that they find essence in everything. Looking inward, they found that the concepts not easy to express though. Nonetheless, they said “being at peace,” “the still point within,” and “a deep love based in silence.” There was remarkable agreement in how to communicate TCC’s essence to students. Roberta Taggart said simply, “We sink deeply into our own practice so that we become the essence of softness and continuity.”