I wasn't planning on this, but the heavy rains came. A verbal
nor'easter. Torrents of unexpected flooding off-line e-sneers, e-rejections,
e-flames, e-jeers, e-giggles, e-sarcasms, e-snides. But, I won't let them
inundate or sweep me away. As I once said, touchy? Sure. I struggle to reach
out and touch a student in need to make a positive difference. Feely? Of
course. I get to know and feel who each student is, what is going on inside
her or him, what is going on outside the classroom with her or him, and I am
empathetic and then sympathetic. Dreamy? Of course. But, as I tell the
students, dreams work out only if you work hard at them. Fuzzy? Heck, no! I
see very clearly; I listen sharply.
This acid rain of disparaging remarks is seeded by a negative
"perception bias" held by too many academics, that has led to a lot of
"attribution error." Too many academics live in an alternative reality. Too
often, far too often, they're blinded by their own self-interest to swell their
resumes, cowed by their quest for tenure, promotion, and/or position, and
swayed by their belief that their fake world of Taylor and Skinner actually
exists. That is, they find and point out only that which creates the illusion
that their myths are reality; that reinforces, validates, and proves the
accuracy of their preconceptions, assumptions, presumptions. But, why is it
only okay to express negative emotions such as resignation, frustration,
disappointment, and even anger under the aegis of being objective?
Oh, I see, it's okay to claim with misguided pride that your intent is
to weed out the myriad of "don't belongs," to separate the lethargic chafe from
the self-motivating wheat, to send all those inept and unprepared "they're
letting anyone ins" packing. It's okay to condemn students because in their
world, students by nature dislike work, refuse to assume responsibility, want
to be told what to do, and have to be threatened and controlled before they'll
do anything. But, identify yourself as a nurturer, and you're condemned as a
hapless romantic, a starry-eyed dreamer. Mention "love," and the place goes
ballistic as if you've uttered a satanic incantation that threatens to destroy
the Ivory Tower. Why the sarcastic giggles when you say we academics are in
the business of saving and transforming lives as much as, if not far more, than
merely transmitting information, most of which will be soon obsolete? Why the
sneering faces when you say our mission is to help students beat the odds
rather than to beat them down? Why the nasty comments when you say our task to
help students learn to deal with stress and pressure rather than to pressure
them. Why the "its not my job" flaming when you say you should be there for
any student to turn to rather than turning away and turning out the many
students who don't fit your prejudiced image? Why the jeering laughs when you
say our job is to strengthen a student's sense of belonging, self-esteem,
self-respect, and self-confidence rather than brand and treat them demeaningly
as "don't belongs?" Why the snide comments when you say you should have a
special place in your heart for each and every student rather than bidding them
good riddance as "non-performers" and "non-achievers?" Why is to curse more
acceptable than to bless, to be cold than to be warm, to be distant than close,
to be objectively aloof than subjectively involved, to be bored with than
excited by, to be callous than to be empathetic, to be a "ho hum" than to be a
"wow," to be disinterested than to be interested, to be apathetic than to love?
But, too many of us, far too many, with too much detached arrogance and
self-righteousness, with a "grandiloquence," don't cop to all this. Too many
prefer the comfort and safety and convenience of having students follow our
often harsh, commanding, and often threatening orders to the anxiety of
standing back and granting them autonomy and ownership.
Let me give you something to think about, to think about slowly. You
do know that we're not making ourselves feel better when we practice forms of
disengagement, don't you? The devil's not doing it; the students aren't doing
it; the administrators aren't doing it; we are doing it, to ourselves! The
research done by the likes of Julius Segal, Roy Baumeister, and a host of
others, shows that when people are excluded, disconnected, ignored, and
rejected, everything and everyone suffers. That includes us, the classroom
perpetrators! We victimize ourselves! We feel just as miserable making
students feel miserable as the students feel miserable. Interesting, isn't it.
Think about it. I'll repeat that because it's worth driving home the point.
The form of separation, selecting out, distancing, the threatening carrot and
stick approach so many of us practice in the classroom not only makes the
students miserable, it makes us, we who are doing the disconnecting and
chilling, miserable as well. That's why we feel the less that than happy
frustration, resignation, and/or any other negative emotion. And some of us
wonder why so many academics seek satisfaction in the lab and archive? Our
brains are no different than those of the students. These researchers, and
other "brainologists," also found that such exclusion and disconnection
triggers the brain's dorsal lateral cortex. That's the same areas of the brain
that are active when people feel physical pain. Similar parts of the brain and
often in similar ways process emotional and physical pain. Hence, the
joylessness of teaching and the enjoyment of research.
We human beings are extremely sensitive to being socially rejected.
Being connected and belonging is a powerful human survival mechanism against
being prey. It's so powerful that the stronger the feelings of being
unnoticed, unworthy, unwanted, disconnected, the greater the need for
acceptance. I read about it every day in student journals and faculty e-mails;
I see it everyday around me; I hear it everyday in conversations with students
and colleagues, as well as at conferences. When we professors don't feel
connected in the classroom, we find safe, secure, comfortable connections
outside the classroom. That's why social and professional networking in our
disciplines are so important to us and why we will devalue the classroom. When
students feel alone, when they feel a strangerness, when they feel a
loneliness, they feel lost, abandoned, scared, and downright unhappy. They
find, too, find joyful outlets outside the classroom. They will do quirky
things; they will abandon self-discipline, self-control, self-respect,
self-esteem, self-confidence. Why do you think "thirsty Thursdays" at the
local bars are so popular? Why do you think being socially "single" is so
fearful? Why do you think the siren of sororities and fraternities, or playing
team sports, or participating in a theater troupe or band at any cost is so
powerful a lure, even if it means crashing on academic rocks?
It's not a matter of adapting to the new reality, but to the always
reality, and abandoning the too often present and influential alternative
reality. Now, let me give you something else to think about, to think about
slowly. Just think what might have a chance of happening if while we want to
raise the learning bar, they raise the loving bar. Just think what might have
a chance of happening if we broke down separating barriers, built bridges, and
forged community in our classrooms and on our campuses. Just think what might
have a chance of happening if we took and lived my Teacher's Oath. Students
gather strength, confidence, self-esteem from those Segal called "charismatic"
people, from those who are unconditionally in each student's corner, from those
who are un-surrendering advocates for each student, from those who connect with
students without any strings attached. You think healthy connectedness and
compassion are not the seeds for emotional, physical, and mental well being,
for achievement, for success?
Doggone, it's not just the students. It's each of us as well. Have we
forgotten? We're people, too. We all needed and still need such charismatic
people in our lives. We all have had such people in our lives. We all need
uplifting relationships and supportive connections, and encouraging community.
Not only do we need them, we need to be them for others. Didn't you have
someone in your life to whom you owe a deep appreciation for influencing you
and having an impact personally and professionally? I did. Professionally, he
was Dr. Birdsal Viault, a young history professor fresh out of Duke at Adelphi
College. He took me under his wing at a time I had a broken wing. He set me
on my course as a time I was adrift. He convinced me I could soar at a time I
felt grounded. Personally, it was and continually is my Susie, and I'll leave
that at that.
So, do you think students today are any different? They are not!
Maybe we've become different, and indifferent. Do you think students today
have changed from the time we were students. They haven't. Maybe it's we who
have changed. Think students are lazier today than yesteryear? No. Maybe
it's we who don't want to work unless threatened or rewarded. Maybe it's we
who are amnesiacs who have forgotten what it was like to be a student. I say
this: students today, no less than students yesterday, have to walk with the
unconditional and persevering--uncondtional and persevering--nurturing
believers and faithful, with the uplifters and energizers, with the dreamers
and doers, with the encouragers and supporters, with the kindly and caring,
with the smilers and the hopeful, with the inspirers and igniters, with the
risk takers and fearless, with the committed and dedicated, and above all, with
the lovers.
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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