Dorie Blesoff

Blesoff spent nearly three decades as an instructor in SESP’s undergraduate program. She continues to teach in the Master of Science in Learning and Organizational Change program.

During my career, I’ve focused on leadership, learning, social justice, and organizational and cultural change.  I sought ways to integrate impactful and sustainable approaches to learning and change, aiming for a more just and compassionate community, school,  country, and world.

I’ve had the privilege of teaching and learning from three generations of students, working with many supportive advisers and dedicated faculty, TAs, staff members, and deans. Being a part of SESP allowed me to channel my focus in service of students’ learning.

While teaching Learning Systems for Complex Environments, I followed the principles of adult experiential learning and made sure at least two-thirds of class time was spent in interactive exercises, small groups, simulations, and innovative ways for students to share what they learned with the rest of the class.

We discussed concepts like personal mastery—how to be energized rather  than discouraged by the gap between your vision and current reality. Or how to cultivate a shared vision by aligning all personal visions on the team. 

Organizations are living systems— complex, adaptive, always evolving.  We discussed how information flow  and relationships create power and how self-referencing involves changing to become more authentic versions of ourselves.

I loved students’ creativity in their interactive final presentations—an interactive candy game to simulate systems thinking; Learning and Organizational Change Jeopardy; constructing marshmallow towers. Another team created a final exam, which we used and revised over the years. 

A student athlete once carried me across the room during a team presentation to demonstrate kinesthetic intelligence.

Switching to teaching the practicum —a course where all students are in internships—was a breath of fresh air.  It gave me the opportunity to share my professional career experience and continue to learn from the students.

The SESP community is a beacon in the world of academia. I hope it continues to challenge the idea that some people are more deserving of life’s promises, when in fact all are worthy and part of an interdependent web of life. Or that the earth is only for extraction and profit, when it is our sacred, shared home.

May we always embody “SESP love” in how we treat one another, influence higher education, produce policies that affirm humanness, and prepare students to change the world.