It is myunderstanding that the tryptophan coma is more likely induced by the turkey meat and not by overesting. Maybe you should switch to Chinese duck. Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: Louis E. Schmier To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 8:46 AM Subject: [tips] Random Thought: The "Teacher's Oath," X
You know, I'm collapsed here in the Atlanta airport, waiting to board the plane that will carry me back to my Susan's arms. I'm brain tired and physically exhausted, and in a few days I'm facing a tryptophan coma induced by a caloric overdose. For you outside the States, that means that very special and unique American holiday of Thanksgiving is only a few days away. I'll be heading up to Nashville to be with one son's and my sister's family as I leave my Lilly family. From overstuffed to overstuffed. Four days of exchanging, uplifting, reflecting, challenging, connecting, and learning at the Lilly Conference among friends, old and new, will fill you. Lilly is a working teaching conference, a joyous reunion, a reflective retreat, and a spiritual experience all wrapped up in one. Four days of "working the crowd" with my "Teacher's Oath." For me, once again, the Lilly reaffirmed that we teachers have more moral and life-shaping influence than anyone else except maybe within families. The Oath challenges those fixed, clinical, disconnecting attitudes that keep us from unconditionally loving and caring about each and every student, that keep us from our humanity and that of others, that keep us from fully embracing teaching. One night, as I was reading the Oath to get myself prepped for one of my presentations, I realized it was a treasure map to riches rivaling that of Monte Cristo trove. You see, living richly is not necessarily a matter of living high on the hog. It is living with purpose, with meaning, with authentic joy, with significant in every second. The Oath says unconditionally love each and every student more than you love your labels of yourself and them; it says each of those students are diamonds in the rough; it makes us think about our responsibilities and the consequences of our attitudes and actions; it asks us how well do we treat people who are in the same room with us but seem a world away and with whom we have little in common except our humanity; it says we are at our best when we notice and help those who are most in need of us; it demands--yes, demands--with a lot of unconditional TLC that we create a classroom filled with a powerful, invigorating, positive teaching TLC, a "therapeutic learning climate," for everyone to breathe. Let me let you in on a little secret to decoding this treasure map. The secret to happiness, lasting happiness, in teaching is to give yourself away; the more you give yourself away, the humbler you are; the humbler you are, the quieter you get; the quieter you are, the more you see and listen; and, the more you see and listen, the more awake and alert you are to others. So, the most powerful way to improve the classroom is to improve yourself; the best way to create purpose for others is to bring purpose into yourself; see beyond yourself and you'll see not only others but inside yourself; seek to understand and you'll be understood; listen and you'll be heard; show your loving, hopeful, encouraging, supporting face and you'll be surprised at the faces looking back at you. So, peer keenly into that mirror and polish it with a passion and joy. It arouses the strongest emotions and creates the most powerful of connections. To follow the Oath, you have to have a sharp empathetic eye for each student. But, empathy is but a first step. It means nothing if it isn't lovingly converted into action. Now, that is challenging! But, it is fulfilling!! It is significant!!! If we want to make the world a better place, we should enrich and improve lives, not just fill heads and hand out credentials. We should help people develop, debate, understand, reform, revere, and enact their own oaths. We have to help them help themselves make the big choices in life. We have to help them help themselves become the people they are are capable of becoming. To do that, we have to face up to, live, and deal with both our own complexity and that of each student. And, if it takes more time and effort, so be it. Lives are at stake. The future is at stake. Take and live by the Oath. Make it a good day -Louis- Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.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" - / \_ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13424.eb17e1c03643c971ab35c22d86587541&n=T&l=tips&o=14350 (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) or send a blank email to leave-14350-13424.eb17e1c03643c971ab35c22d86587...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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