Tomorrow morning, literally before the proverbial crack of dawn, I'll
be hopping a
"puddle hopper" on the first leg of my journey to the Lilly Conference on
Teaching in
Higher Education at Miami of Ohio. I'm already thinking and feeling. I can
feel my inner
fires getting stoked. I'm going into myself, putting on my game face,
meditating, getting
into the groove, getting my adrenaline flowing. I'm readying myself,
motivating myself,
for an all-day, pre-conference workshop I'll be offering on creating a
motivating
classroom environment. Now, most, if not all, of the participants will
probably think
I'll be focusing on the students. But, in reality, I'm going to put the
spotlight on me
and them. After all, the only people we can control, motivate if you will, is
ourselves.
And, as Jon Kabat-Zinn says, wherever you go, there you are. So, if we teach
who we are,
we have to look at the who of "we are," not just at the how of "we teach."
You see, it is we, the professors, who create the climate of the
classroom. And,
for that climate to be refreshing rather smoggy, we must have a "molten core"
of resolute
faith in, hope for, and love of each student. Like the inner molten core that
is the
source of the earth's dynamism, our inner core is what drives us. So, before
we get to
the applying "how" questions," I'll ask the meaningful and purposeful "who" and
"why"
questions: Do we enter the classroom unconditionally loving each student as a
sacred and
precious gem too valuable to cast aside? Do we enter the present classroom as
futurists?
Do we enter the classroom with an unshakeable confidence in the potential
"becoming" of
each student? Do we enter the classroom with a salivating faith in each of
them? Do we
enter the classroom clearly seeing each as a bright horizon? Do we enter the
classroom
with a willingness to endure and persevere today because of our confidence in
each of
their tomorrows?
There is nothing dreamy, touchy-feely, or ephemeral about these
questions. For if
our answers are a subtle or resounding "no," what keeps our inner pack of big
bad wolves
of fear, lethargy, apathy, and resignation at bay? What keeps them from
dousing our
fires? What stops exasperation at the doorstep from dimming our inspiration?
Where and
what is the energizing source of our vision, our trust, our incentive,
fearlessness, our
caring, our awareness, our otherness, our service, and our enthusiasm? And, if
we are not
watering at the mouth, what would impel us to an unending and unwavering honest
and true
commitment to helping each student--each student--find her or his own way to
achievement?
>From whence would come our driving inner "heart power," what Vince Lombardi
>called the
unstoppable "greatest strength in the world?"
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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