TSI introduces Betsy Phillips and her new column 'To build a better life

Written by Betsy Phillips | 05 February 2010

By Betsy Phillips
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“To build a better life” is an organization that creates commercials encouraging human respect.  I applaud the efforts of this organization because, to quote “Eve of Destruction” (1965) written by P. F. Sloan and recorded by Barry McGuire, “… human respect is desintegratin’/ This whole crazy world is just too frustratin.’”  Sadly, this song was recorded in the sixties, and not much has improved in forty-five years. While watching television the other night, I saw one of these “better life” commercials and thought how incredibly discouraging it is that the general population must be taught through a two -minute commercial how to extend courtesy to another person in an everyday activity, such as giving up a seat on a crowded bus to an elderly person.  In everyday life, I witness, as I am sure you do, numerous occasions in which people would rather step on another person’s rights and/or feelings in order to satisfy number 1’s desires and goals.  Where is human respect and courtesy?   
In my classroom, I use my curriculum to teach not only Tennessee standards, but life lessons – two of which are compassion and respect.  My favorite literature unit to teach my sophomore English class is the “War Unit” because we study world events to demonstrate the severity of what the lack of human respect can cause.  The main topic of discussion is Elie Weisel’s Night, an autobiographical account of a young Jewish boy and his experiences as a victim of this deplorable time period.  My sophomores learn to respect and care for human life during this unit because they see the disastrous results of one man’s hatred toward another man’s ethnicity and religion.  Sometimes, when the Holocaust is mentioned, the word seems to have lost its impact due to time and lack of education.  After exposure to this time period, I can actually watch their attitudes toward others change, if they even lacked the compassion prior to this unit.
Human respect and compassion are easy attitudes to develop, but require a conscientious effort from each individual to put into practice.  As you live your everyday life, be aware of others’ rights and feelings.  Live each day trying to make another person’s life better.  Use your blinker, allow a person in front of you in line, smile when others scowl, grab the item off the top shelf for the shorter shopper – in short, “build a better life.”
Here’s a little bit about the author . . .
I have been married for six years and have a little girl.  She will have a sibling to join her this May.  I work in the Coffee County School system at CCCHS as an English II and IV teacher.  For fun, I love to travel, read, write, paint, act in community plays, exercise (or play as I call it), and practice my music.  I graduated from MTSU with a BA in 2002 and a M. Ed. in 2007.  For the future, I have plans to obtain certification to teach French and to serve as an education administrator and to receive a master’s in English literature.