Lou, where's the exclusivity? Where did I say you have to believe the way I believe is the only way? I'm happy for you that you have another belief system that allows you to feel about students as I do.
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" - / \_ On Oct 8, 2012, at 8:28 PM, Manza, Louis wrote: > > > > > > > ". . . If you believed and lived Genesis, I bet you'd notice each student." > > I don't believe it, and don't live it, yet I somehow manage to notice my > students. Reality works. > > > Sent via Android on AT&T > > > > -------- Original message -------- > Subject: Re: [tips] Random Thought: Genesis 1:27 > From: "Louis E. Schmier" <[email protected]> > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" > <[email protected]> > CC: > > > Where did I say what you said I said? You're putting words into my mouth > that I didn't utter. Basing morals/behavior on any theology, philosophy, and > even science is dicey, for it depends on selective and subjective > interpretation that can be used, misused, and/or abused. Heck, the > perpetrators of the Holocaust based and validated their heinious activities > on some of the prevailing science of its day. Don't blame the values of a > religion; blame the religionists. > > 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" - / \_ > > On Oct 8, 2012, at 4:35 PM, Manza, Louis wrote: > > > So belief in God is needed to be a good teacher? Atheists can't teach > > well? I don't buy it--not for a second. And why? Basing morals/behavior > > on Biblical passages is a dicey endeavor, considering that while that book > > contains some potentially uplifting information, it's also filled > > w/atrocities committed in the name of God. And how one can subjectively > > choose to focus on the good and somehow disavow the bad is logically > > inconsistent. Dawkins's THE GOD DELUSION does an excellent job of driving > > this point home . . . > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Dr. Lou Manza > > Professor & Chair of Psychology | Director of the Youth Scholars Institute > > > > Lebanon Valley College > > 101 N. College Avenue, Annville, PA 17003 > > Phone: 717.867.6193 | Fax: 717.867.6894 | [email protected] | www.lvc.edu > > > > This message may contain confidential or privileged information. Unless you > > are the addressee (or authorized to receive > > the information on behalf of the addressee), you may not use, copy or > > disclose the information to anyone. If you received > > this message in error, please advise the sender by reply email, and delete > > or destroy the message. Thank you. > > </DIV > > ________________________________________ > > From: Louis E. Schmier [[email protected]] > > Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 7:06 AM > > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > > Subject: [tips] Random Thought: Genesis 1:27 > > > > I know. Thinking, feeling, reflecting introspectively, writing a > > lot lately. But, it's not just that student who has really gotten into me > > or that I'm still feeling the gift he gave me. There's more that I'm not > > ready to talk about yet. But, still echoing in my soul are his words, "You > > didn't give up on me." Give up? Me? Never! As the Talmud says, “You are > > not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon > > it.” So, I am a guy of many second chances. And though I may not always > > 'win,' and I don't, I never surrender. I never stop believing, having > > faith, having hope, and loving. I always say that my favorite passage in > > Scripture, my guiding north star for all my feelings, thoughts, and actions > > that I use not to "thingify" teaching, to ritualize or ceremonialize it--or > > anything in life--is Micah 6:8. It's my favorite. It reminds me to > > "humanize" what I do, that what really matters is people. But I don't > > think it's the most important passage in Scripture. > > > > Micah rests on what I believe is the seminal biblical passage. Take > > the whole of the New Testament, the whole of the Old Testament, the whole > > of the Koran, the whole of the Midrash, the whole of the Talmud, the whole > > of all the Jewish and Christian and Islamic writings, however often misused > > and abused and perverted they may be by imperfect followers. It all rests > > on one passage and one passage only. The rest is commentary. It's among > > the opening passages of the Old Testament. Maybe the fact that it's among > > the opening passages reveals its significance. Genesis 1:27 gets my vote: > > "In the Image of God they were created." The spark of the Divine in us > > all. Imperfect, but godly, all of us. Bar none. Sacred, noble, valuable, > > worthy, unique. All of us. No exceptions. No conditions. No exclusions. > > No judgments. No ifs, ands, or buts! > > > > "In the image of God were they created." A simple but profound and > > challenging and elegant statement. But, really. Do we believe it? Do we > > see the angel ahead of each student, reminding us with the proclaiming, > > "Make way, make way, make way for someone created in the image of God?" We > > all believe we are decent folk; I know we all want to be decent folk. But > > do we believe in all the people who populate our campuses and classrooms? > > Do we act as if we believed everyone is made in God's image? Do we feel as > > if we believe everyone has a unique potential? Perhaps the easiest answer > > to that question is how we talk, and how we act, towards each student. If > > we really believed that every student is created in God's image, if we > > truly did, then simple decent feelings, thoughts and behavior toward each > > of them would flow. We'd be nurturers for all and weeders of none. > > > > So, I ask, is an uttered "I care" simply a comforting platitude or > > an expected sound bite? I think we would act differently if we really > > practiced caring and acted caringly, rather than just mouthing it. Do we > > mean "I care" when we disengagingly say, "It's not my job?" Do we mean "I > > care" when we haughtily say, "I don't have time?" Do we mean "I care" when > > we say disparagingly, "They're letting anyone in?" Do we mean "I care" > > when we negatively act in a way that reveals "Students nowadays > > can't.....don't....?" Do we mean "I care" when we annoyingly say, "This > > generation....in my day when I was a student?" Do we mean "I care" when we > > resignedly say, "Well, you can't get to all of them; so why try?" Do we > > mean "I care" when we're more interested in and care about informing and > > credentialling than transforming? Do we mean "I care" when our hearts and > > minds are in the lab or archive? Before you answer any of these questions, > > keep a few things in mind: > > > > First, how did you feel as a student when you were treated as if you > > were far, far less than angelic? Second, how do you feel when as a faculty > > or staff member you are not respectfully treated by colleagues or > > administrators? > > Third, the more we can be honest with ourselves, acknowledge our own > > imperfections, the more we can accept those imperfections in a student. > > That is, we can have empathy, sympathy, and compassion. You know, I learned > > that humility does not mean self-effacement; it does not mean thinking of > > ourselves as worthless or useless. But rather it means being honest with > > ourselves and accepting our limitations. Once we know and accept our own > > limitations, we can more readily accept that in another human being. > > Fourth, if you believed and lived Genesis 1:27, I bet you'd notice each > > student. You'd feel differently about and speak differently to and of each > > student. You'd find the time to spend more time with each student who > > needed your time. You'd complain less about students. You'd give more. > > You'd accept each of them both as she or he is and as she or he can be. > > You'd forgive them for not being mini copies of us, for not being perfect, > > for not doing everything we want them to be all the time. You'd accept > > each of them both as she or he is and as she or he can be. You'd work > > harder to help each one help her/himself transform her/himself. You'd be a > > person of unending second chances. I bet eventually you'd teach fully, and > > urgently, and carefully; you'd see teaching as an essential part of your > > professional life rather than apart from it or an intrusion on it. Fifth, > > what would you do if a student came up to you and said, "I'm giving you one > > more chance. I'm important. I'm worthy. You don't pay enough attention > > to me. You aren't interested enough in what's happening in my life. I'm > > giving you one more chance. Notice me. Care about me. Help me." And > > finally, each time we can generate empathy and sympathy, have passion and > > compassion for, encourage and support, have belief in, faith in, hope for, > > and love a student before judging or blaming or weeding out, we change the > > world. And, as we continue to strive to change the world just that much > > more we can leave it better than when we found it. > > > > So, "in the image of God were they created." It is an awesome > > notion that gives us tremendous energy and tremendous responsibility. It's > > the unlimited source of unlimited dedication, commitment, perseverance to > > transforming rather than merely informing and credentialing. Once you > > believe each student has an astonishing inner light, you'll fight to keep > > her or him away from the dark. And, you'll fight even harder to drag him > > or her out of the dark and to help her or him be the crack in her or his > > own dawning. > > > > 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=13376.b3aa19fe9dc706a3b4cdaa8ddb37d852&n=T&l=tips&o=20961 > > or send a blank email to > > leave-20961-13376.b3aa19fe9dc706a3b4cdaa8ddb37d...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13368.9b8fe41d7a9a359029570f1d2ef42440&n=T&l=tips&o=20962 > > or send a blank email to > > leave-20962-13368.9b8fe41d7a9a359029570f1d2ef42...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13376.b3aa19fe9dc706a3b4cdaa8ddb37d852&n=T&l=tips&o=20971 > or send a blank email to > leave-20971-13376.b3aa19fe9dc706a3b4cdaa8ddb37d...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13368.9b8fe41d7a9a359029570f1d2ef42440&n=T&l=tips&o=20973 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-20973-13368.9b8fe41d7a9a359029570f1d2ef42...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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