Well, it happened again. This time, last Saturday, during intermission
of "The Little Maid" summer stock production at the University. Out of the
blue, in front of Susie, a young lady comes up to me, surprise written on her
face, letting out a "Dr. Schmier," introduces herself while bursting into tears
and hugging me. Holding my hands, she quickly tells me about her life, how
through the years she always thinks of me, and what she owes to me for
extending my hand and helping her. Now, visiting her mother, going to this
musical, she bumps into me. Then, it turns out we had been sitting next to
each other. "I don't believe this is a chance meeting," she teared up again
as I sat down in my seat. I don't remember much of the second half of the
musical. I'll leave it at that.
"Student." We have strongly trained ourselves to think in terms of
abstract stereotype and generalizing labels. Agreed that such labels are
attempts to make sense out of a mind-boggling and somewhat chaotic diversity of
individuals. But, stereotypes and generalities also create distancing chasms
and separating walls; they imprison us into seeing the world of the campus and
classroom in a particular way that depersonalizes, divides, separates, and
isolates. They create a fiction that too often objectifies groups of people
from a gathering of sacred and noble individuals into a faceless herd with
little opportunity or inclination to empathize.. A label, stereotype, or
generality comes with rules and expectations, that is, a limiting academic
framework, that sets those so labelled apart from people labelled as
"professors" or "teachers..
"Student." We say that word and we think we know all about that
person--if ever think of that "student" in personal terms. We seek all the
tricks, gimmicks, techniques to learn names, and, then, we kid ourselves to
think we know that person. It's a first step that is rarely followed by other
essential steps. So, the uninformed remain uninformed, for they do not become
informed by merely a name. There is still a gap, a lack of proximity: no
connection, no relationship, no knowledge, no empathy of dreams and desires, no
sympathy of fears and hurts, no perception of barriers, no faith and hope and
love. Instead, as Rogette and now Kathy indicated, we're merely wading in
shallow water far from the depths. So very few of us know that person called
student, even by name, much less understand "student" or a name.
"Student." It is a relationship word. When we say "they are letting
anyone in" or "they don't belong," or "I don't have the time" or "I have better
things to do," that's an explicit bias, but it's not against who you might
think. We're really revealing what we think and feel about ourselves. We're
talking more about professorial fragility than that person called "student;"
we're talking about exclusiveness and exclusion; we're talking about
separateness; we're talking about burden. So, if we want to talk about
students, we first have to talk about professors and teachers, that is,
ourselves. If we want to see students clearly, we have to "uncloud" our own
prejudices with a heart and mind free from preconceived notions. We have to be
willing to more fully help ourselves if we want to be able to more fully help
each student help her or himself. When we talk of "student," we're talking of
"professor" or "teacher." "Student" largely plays out in our minds as
unexamined perceptions, definitions, assumptions, expectations, low thresholds
of discomfort, impatience with low levels of accomplishment, fear of making
mistakes, uneasiness with change, self-satisfying explanations, experiences,
memory, and, of course, emotions.
I was reading Mirabai Bush's WORKING WITH MINDFULNESS. She puts into a
compassion and empathic exercise something I had unwitting been practicing for
decades, but never had put into words as she has done. The conclusion of my
unspoken practice is my TEACHER'S OATH. The way to that oath; the way to
shifting perspectives, shattering stereotypes, cutting through labels,
establishing personalizing and humanizing relationships, deepening
understanding and compassion; the way to what I call a "rightful classroom"
guided by my TEACHER'S OATH is a daily mindful exercise she calls "Just Like
Me." It goes like this.
When you walk into a classroom, look at each student, become aware of
each of them, become attentive to each of them, read their facial expressions
and body language, and silently say to yourself:
This person has a body and a mind, just like me.
This person has feelings, emotions and thoughts, just like me.
This person has experienced physical and emotional pain and
suffering, just like me.
This person has at some point been sad, disappointed, angry, or
hurt, just like me.
This person has felt unworthy or inadequate, just like me.
This person worries and is frightened sometimes, just like me.
This person has longed for friendship, just like me.
This person is learning about life, just like me.
This person wants to be caring and kind to others, just like me.
This person wants to be content with what life has given, just
like me.
This person wishes to be free from pain and suffering, just
like me.
This person wishes to be safe and healthy, just like me.
This person wishes to be happy, just like me.
This person wishes to be loved, just like me.
Then, offer some wishes:
I wish that this person have the strength and support to
navigate the difficulties in life.
I wish that this person be free from pain and suffering.
I wish that this person be peaceful and happy.
I wish that this person be loved.
Because this person is a fellow human being, just like me.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier
http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta, Ga 31602
(C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\
/\
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/ \ / \
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/ / \ /\ \
//\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/
\_/__\ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" - / \_
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