Learning from and with Dr. Heidi Snow
Author of William Wordsworth and the Theology of Poverty, Dr. Heidi Snow (C’79) brings literature to life in the classroom and on the interdisciplinary England Abroad, which she co-directs with Professor Chrissy Steele from the Theatre and Dance Department. Under their leadership, students study Shakespeare at the British Library and Stratford-upon-Avon, rehearse one of Shakespeare’s plays at the Globe Theatre, and then perform it when they return to campus.
What do you love about teaching at Principia?
I love working with students who are passionate about learning and who are willing to approach challenges in and out of the classroom from a spiritual basis.
What research are you working on right now?
I’m looking at Dorothy Wordsworth’s later journals, which have not yet been published. I’m particularly interested in her use of Biblical quotations and other evidences of intellectual and scholarly curiosity on her part.
If you could give students only one piece of advice, what would it be?
Listen to your spiritual intuition in relation to your studies—both what to study and how to study.
How do you view character education at Principia?
Traditional character education is top-down, but not at Principia. Here, we begin with the idea that we all have equal access to the one infinite Mind. We all work hard to see the best and to help each other grow. I’ve had a number of instances—on trips to New Orleans after Katrina, for example—where students have seen the metaphysical truth of the situation more clearly than I and have helped me.
What led you to teaching?
I was working for Sentinel Radio at The Mother Church and was asked to go down to the Church Plaza to interview some college students who were gathering for the Spiritual Pioneers Conference. As I talked to them, I realized that I wanted to work with this population. I loved their enthusiasm and their spiritual insights.
If you had a day off and weren’t allowed to use it to catch up on work, what would you do?
I would go for a walk in the Lake District in England.