Very early Sunday morning. Sleepless leaving Traverse City. Thoughts
and
feelings are racing through my mind and heart. In the plane somewhere over the
East coast
heading for Jacksonville, rushing home before Kol Nidre. Feeling heady after
three
whirlwind days of the Lilly-North conference on collegiate teaching. I really
don't need
this flying metal cigar to feel high. Susan, sitting next to me, her suitcase
crammed
full with new delights, is delighted she raised the economy of Traverse City by
at least
two points. I had three days of non-stop, uplifting, and often intense,
schmoozing and
education with new and old friends: Todd, Deb, Sarah, Jim, Laurie, Gregg, Cal,
Tamara,
Ann, Gail, Barbara, Corrine, Sherry, Lou, Chris, Crina, Nancy, Dan, Bettina,
Joe. And the
list goes on and on and on. I owe them. They replenished, renewed,
revitalized, and
rewarded me. The neat people at the Lilly conferences do that to me. I'll
probably still
be up there long after the plane has landed.
How do I sum up such a satisfying, fulfilling, and certainly educating
experience
in thirty seconds? This way: the more clearly we can focus our attention on
the wonders
and realities of the students, the more we can cut through oblique and
dehumanizing
perceptions and generalities and stereotypes of students, the more we can
herald each
student as a sacred and noble and unique human being, the more we can focus on
a faith and
hope and love for each student, the more we can cast a bright spotlight on their
"becoming," the more we can learn and accept and apply what is being learned
about
learning, the less taste we'll have for negative and destructive weeding out.
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History
http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/
\ /\
//\/\/ /\
\__/__/_/\_\ \_/__\
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" -
---
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