Barbara just won't leave me along--thank goodness. So, I was in my
garden talking with the flowers when my cell rang. It was Barbara asking, "You
busy?" I said goodbye to the flowers, sat down by the koi pond, and start
chatting with her. We weren't far into our conversation when she asked me,
"Dr. Schmier, don't you get bored? You say no one should think for a second
that they can teach in their sleep. And, if they think that way, they probably
are asleep. But, how can you not get at least drowsy. You've taught that same
class we were in over and over and over again, three or four times a semester,
two semesters a year, for I don't know how many years."
"No, I haven't," I answered.
"What do you mean 'No, I haven't?'" she shot back.
I asked her, "How many times in class did I say 'I haven't done this
before,' or 'Let's see if this works,' or 'I'm using you as my guinea pigs?"
"But, they're all the same course. They're all numbered the same!"
They're all History 2112.
"So?"
"So? They're all identical. "
"No, they're not."
"Don't you do the same thing in all the classes, whether you're
experimenting or not?" she asked with a puzzled voice.
"No. Just because they have the same course number doesn't mean
they're the same," I replied.
"How do you figure?"
"Simple. What captures and holds my attention, what I focus on, to
what and whom I give my undivided attention, what I model, all reflect who I am
and what guides me. My guide for every class is living that quote of the
famous psychiatrist, Carl Jung, at the end of my piece, TO BE A TEACHER, that I
sent you: 'You have to put aside your formal theories and intellectual
constructs and axioms and statistics and charts when you reach out to touch
that miracle called the individual human being.' 'The individual human
being!!' Let me put it this way. You said during closure on the last day of
class that you aren't the same person who you were on the first day. So,
Barbara, you were changing from day to day as you were experiencing and
learning in and out of class. The same Barbara never came into the class on
any two days even though she had the same name. Now, multiply that by 140 to
180 other 'Barbaras' each semester. I've got to keep on top of that
development, growth, transformation, or whatever you want to call such change
so I don't fall into the trap of treating impressions and perceptions and
assumptions about a student as knowledge of them. The only thing identical
about all these classes that have the same course number is their course
number. But, they are all different, if for no other reason the people in the
class with me are different and constantly changing. Each of those people have
different dreams, goals, and stories. They each have traveled different roads,
carrying different amounts and types of baggage, dealing or not dealing with
different issues, coming through different doors. I can't measures all
students against the same criteria because that ignores the truth that each
student is different with varied training, different self-perceptions,
individual strengths and weaknesses, unique talents and potential, distinct
likes and dislikes, and particular expectations and aspirations."
"Then, who do you see," Barbara asked.
"The individual, "the one," the ever-changing one," I answered. "I see
a class as a gathering of sacred, noble, unique, mysterious, wondrous,
separate, distinct, changing 'ones.' I tell everyone that is the true
diversity in the classroom and on our campus, for no two 'ones' are the same.
Each 'one' is at best a 'variation on a theme.' So, I never walk into the same
class twice. And, on top of that each 'one' is changing at different paces
each day. Every class is an imperfect class. Every class is an adjustment and
an adaptation class. Every class is an unlearning and learning class. Every
class is a breaking old habits and learning new ones class. Every class is a
risk-taking class. Every class is a 'let's practice' class. Every class is a
'I wonder what if' class. Every class is a 'let's see what happens' class.
Every class is a complicated class. Every class is a venture into the unknown.
Every class is a creative class. Every class is an adventure class. Every
class is a journey class. Every class is a mystery class. Every class is a
transformation class. Every class is a 'you never know' class. Every class is
a wondrous class. Every class is an unconditional faith in, belief in, hope
for, and love of class. You want to be a teacher, then remember all that and
remember this: you're a pioneer of the future. I'll repeat that: you're a
pioneer of the future. Let me drive this home: every class is humanity, a
gathering of individual human beings like you, before it is a 'students are'
generality or perception or stereotype; every class is humanity, a gathering of
individual human beings like you, before it is theory; every class is humanity,
a gathering of individuals human beings like you, before it is rules and
regulations; every class is humanity, a gathering of individual human beings
like you, before it is method and technique; every class is humanity, a
gathering of individual human beings like you, before it is technology. Never
forget that you're in the people business first. Let me ask you this question:
Do you want to be respected as a special 'Barbara' or treated as an unnoticed,
run-of-the-mill, faceless member of a crowd?"
"As Barbara. As who I am, someone special."
"So does everyone else. You're must tenaciously teach to each and
every student with unshakeable faith, unconditional love, bold courage,
uncompromising expectation, unswerving faith, unending hope, excited 'wow,' and
an eternal smile. And, that's why you have to be wide awake, totally aware, on
your toes, on full alert with a keen seeing and listening and feeling of an
intense 'otherness;' that's why you have to become literate and be able--and
willing--to read between the lines of their daily journals and behind their
projects, their body language and facial expressions and vocal tones, and not
just their issue papers and written responses to YouTube clips. And, that's
why teaching is a deliciously challenging adventure on which you never sleep."
"Oh, obeying the 'Ten Commandments of Teaching' and the 'Teacher's
Oath' you sent me" she said.
"You've got it." And, we talked a lot more.
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" - / \_
---
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