Just as I'm putting on my "game face" for the Lilly conference this
week and getting into what I call "the Lilly groove," Mary comes up to me in
class with moans and groans. The students are finishing and getting ready to
present their final history project. This past semester, they've written a Dr.
Seuss book, composed and performed a song, sculpted, and now they've gone to
Hollywood and are making an eight minute film. Our conversation went something
like this:
"Dr. Schimer, I hate this project. It's hard!" Mary grimaced.
"You want it to be easy?" I softly replied with a smile in an
understanding tone.
"Yes," she exclaimed.
"You want to just get by, then."
"Yes!" she quickly came back. "I just want a good grade."
"And what do you think that takes?" I asked. Then, I said, "You're a
cheerleader?"
"Yes," she said proudly.
"Would you tell your coach that you want practice to be easy?"
"God, no!"
"Then, don't tell me that!"
"But, that's different."
"No...it's....not," I quietly and slowly, but firmly, replied. "That's
why 'it's so hard' is so important in anything--anything--you do, anything I
do. 'It's easy' is not a sign you'll find on the road to achieving anything.
You don't win championships or learn with 'it's easy." You have to sweat and
ache in here, and put in the time and effort in here, just like you do on the
field."
Then, she admitted, "Well, to be honest, making this film is really
fun. And, I really am learning a lot by doing it, a lot more than just
cramming to take a test."
I replied, "That's the point. That's the method to my madness and the
madness to my method. Let me tell you a story. There once was a person who
discovered a butterfly struggling as hard as it could to escape its cocoon
through a tiny opening at the top. She got worried when it stopped and seemed
to give up after making no progress. She was sure the butterfly wouldn't make
it out without help. So, she enlarged the hole. On its next try, the
butterfly wriggled out easily. But the young woman's joy turned to horror when
she saw its wings were shriveled and useless. Her well-intentioned intervention
had interrupted a natural process. Forcing the butterfly to squeeze though a
small opening is nature's way of assuring that blood from the butterfly's body
is pushed into the wings. By making it easier, she deprived the butterfly of
strong wings. You're a butterfly working to get out of your cocoon. 'Hard' is
important if you want to spread your wings and be able to fly; 'easy' is not."
"Yeah. I guess. Makes sense. But it is so maddening! I just wish I
didn't take so much time and work."
God, this conversation sounded like one I had with Dr. Viault over
fifty years ago. Sometimes the more things change, the more they don't change.
Now, neither I, Mary, nor so many other students had come out from the womb
this way. Where did so many learn to want merely to just get by? Where and
when were they told that the philosophy of Popeye, the Sailorman, was silly and
downright wrong: "Youse gets out whats youse puts in?" Where and when did
they learn to do the least and expect the highest grade? Why don't they focus
their efforts on more than just getting a grade? Why aren't they committed?
Why are they inclined to settle for the shadows of the valley rather than the
glistening summit? Why don't they realize that if they're spending all this
time and money why don't they make enough effort to make whatever they're doing
great. Why do they settle? Do they think they will reach the summit by
staying in the valley? Why do they live with mediocrity instead of
excellence? Don't they have faith in themselves? Don't they believe? Why
don't they do what's necessary to do? Why don't they give that "just a little
more?" Why don't they want to "be on a roll?" Do they think they can dance
spritely with leadened feet? Do they think they can soar high without wings?
Why don't they bring the values they've learned on a sports team, cheerleading
squad, theater troupe, or music band into the classroom? What is the source
of this attitude?
Anyway, my mission is to find ways to get to them so they have a shot
at getting to themselves. I have to help them see that it's of no use for
anyone to be a wisher if you're not a doer as well. Sure, aim high, but to get
there you have to get down and dirty, and focus on the details, on the nitty
gritty grind. So, again, as a teacher, my job goes beyond merely transmitting
information. It is to help them help themselves develop their character, and
to understand that they have choices and the power to make those choices. Now,
because I pride myself on being unconditionally caring, respectful, and loving
of students, that doesn't mean I'm a push-over, and because I'm empathetic that
doesn't mean I'm a pussy cat. If I must be a harbinger of that message of
challenge, so be it.
Students like Mary have to learn that part of their collegiate learning
experience is that college is another cocoon. If they are to leave our campuses
as "wholesome graduates," we academics must challenge without being an obstacle
and destroying; we must nurture without weeding out. We have to put in our own
sweat equity in the classroom. We must find ways to create something of a safe
haven while allowing, even encouraging, the students to take risks, to take
responsibility, to find new strengths, to convert their weaknesses into
strengths, to struggle, to make mistakes, to learn from them, and to accept
consequences for bad judgments and conduct. I'm confident that Mary will find
in all aspects of her life that "it's hard" and "too much work" are not
enemies. She'll see that she can develop wings strengthened by self-confidence
and self-reliance, and by commitment, determination, and perseverance. Someone
once said that nothing important can be developed when you already know how to
do it. Only when it's hard can a student have a chance to transform a challenge
from obstacle into opportunity; only through the experience of trial and
tribulations can her or his soul be strengthened, character developed, vision
cleared, determination inspired, and success achieved.
At the same time, we have to be fair in asking late teenagers or people
in their early twenties to know just what is the prize they should have their
eyes on. So many of us academics call them adults when they're really not. So
many haven't learned how to hit the curve balls thrown at them. They can't
know the purpose of life or of their lives because they haven't lived long
enough or lived enough to know his/her purpose. They can't see the future;
they can't peer into a crystal ball; they don't know what looms. They have to
learn to balance between planning and adapting, between having a specific goal
and going with the flow, between doing what they want and they they need to do.
Heck, some of us degreed adults have yet to learn how to walk that high wire.
So, while I'm a tender, empathetic, supporting, and encouraging teddy
bear, out of unconditional caring about and respect for each student, it's
because of that caring and respect--and love--that with a loving smile, and a
soft and encouraging word, I can also be an intractable, take-no-prisoners
grizzly bear when it's called for. That's the balancing act between "love" and
"tough love." After all, as I just told some of my e-colleagues and friends,
contrary to stereotypes and generalities, there's no such thing as evenness.
Students, like anyone else-do not move, change, or grow absolutely, uniformly,
or chronologically--or even willingly. Movement, growth, and change are always
partial and uneven. We all grow in one dimension, and not in another; we all
grow in one direction while heading in another; we are mature in one realm,
childish in another; we have strengths while we have weaknesses; we are
experienced in some areas and not in others. Our different pasts, present, and
future hopes mingle and pull and push us backward, forward, sideways, or
diagonal. And so, at any given time, for a host of reasons, some get it or
some of it by seeing the light; some start getting it or some of it when they
feel the heat; and, alas, some just haven't gotten any of it--yet. It's those
"some" and "yet" that should drive us to figure out ways to get to them and get
to them some more.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier http://www.the
randomthoughts.edublogs.org
Department of History http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
/\
(O) 229-333-5947 /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__ / \ /
\
(C) 229-630-0821 / \/ \_ \/ / \/ /\/ / \
/\ \
//\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/
\_/__\ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" - / \_
---
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