Slowly and patiently recovering from my cerebral hemorrahage, with
Susan hovering
over me like the loving mother hen she is, until I get back into physical shape
and
recover my energy, I have little else to do other than think. I have to admit
that as a
sign of my healing, I'm biting at the bit to get back into class Spring
Semester. As part
of my process to psyche myself up for my return in January, a few days ago I
watched PBS'
"Declining By Degrees" for the umpteenth time. By chance, watching it
coincided with two
other events. The first was reading an inspiring response by a teacher to one
of my
Random Thoughts on caring. He wrote, "Most of them [students who he is
mentoring] want to
fail; it's easier. Although deep down, they want to feel what its like to have
success,
Its just that they have been failing so long and have been told so many times
that they
are failures they have given up. I believe it's my job to convince them they
have
something positive to contribute, to share, to present. They can learn if they
get
confidence. If they are hidden in the shadows forever they will always fail."
The
second, and most important of all three happenings, I'll just have to say is
that Susan
and I dropped everything to help a student who came to us in dire need.
This confluence reminded me of what I don't see in all too many
classrooms:
unconditional love! By that, I don't mean love of and dedication to an
academic's
discipline. I'm talking about a teaching labor of love. I mean an intense
love of and
dedication to those human beings in the classroom. I mean loving to be in that
classroom,
loving the challenge of dealing with the challenge each student poses, loving
all the time
it takes to reach out to a student, loving the continual exertion of energy is
takes to
touch a student, loving the great effort it takes to make a difference. I mean
loving to
freely give of yourself, loving to be authentic, and, above all, loving the
moment you're
living in. I can guarantee that if you have all this love, all this
unconditional love,
you'll fill yourself with a moving and exhilarating purpose, meaning,
accomplishment, and
fulfillment; you'll infuse and inspire yourself with deep sincerity and
integrity; you'll
discover riches in places few other academics even think of looking or dare to
look;
you'll find that the sky's the limit when it comes to possibilities; and, most
important,
each day will be a new adventure filled with grand discoveries.
Let me put it this way. Following the call of Thoreau, my educational
philosophy
is simple. It's unconditional faith in, hope for, love of, kindness to, caring
about, and
empathy for each and every student as a sacred and invaluable human being. No
exceptions.
>From them spring my attitudes of and behavior towards each student. When we
unconditionally treat each student as a shrine to creation, we respect each of
them; when
we respect each student, we appreciate each of them; when we appreciate each of
them, we
accept each student; when we accept each student, we welcome and embrace each
of them;
when we welcome and embrace each of them, we have faith in and hope for each of
them; when
we have faith in and hope for each of them, we think the best of them and for
them; when
we think the best of them and for them, we care about each of them; when we
care about
each of them; we act caringly; when we act caringly, we are empathetic and
loving; when we
are empathetic and loving, we are excited about their potential achievement;
when we are
excited about their potential achievement, we do whatever it takes to support
and
encourage each of them. And, when we do all that, we just might help each
student the
best chance to transform her- or himself
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier
http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/
Department of
History http://www.newforums.com/Auth_L_Schmier.asp
Valdosta State University www. halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/
\ /\
//\/\/ /\
\__/__/_/\_\ \_/__\
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" -
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