So, another piece of my conversation with this professor about her fear
of burning out:
“I think the biggest challenge you have, that I once had, that any of
us have, is not to learn how to fuel or rekindle the flame, but to unlearn what
it is that’s emptying the tanks. We academics love the word “objective,” to be
unaffected, rational, accomplished, learned, observing spectators who are
disengaged and distant from the brutality of the arena. One of the truths of
life, however, is that we human beings are not—are not—objective beings. We
all are fraught with memories and experiences we carry with us from which
sprout biases, prejudices, presumptions, opinions, attitudes, emotions,
assumptions, and prejudices. Consequently, we subjectively perceive. We see
what we want to see, believe what we want to believe, and hear what we want to
hear. Our perception deals with more that is emotionally satisfying to us and
fills our personal needs, then what or who is really there. In a way, it’s an
egoism or narcissism that prevents us from feeling at fault. It is they who
are among ‘they’re letting anyone into the classroom,” not us. It is they who
‘don't belong in the classroom,’ not us. It is they who ‘don’t care,’ not us.
It is always they who are ‘never prepared,’ not us. We tend to see the fault
in the students. Contrary to what Brutus said, we tend to see the fault lies
in the stars, not in us. Believing we are faultless, few of us ever think of
ourselves in need of change. It’s always the other person in whom we see a lot
of fault, who has to change, or who shouldn’t even grace our presence. There
is no virtue in that position. To the contrary, that is a kind of evil; that
is a devaluing of each student and of yourself, a killing of the spirit, a
killing of liveliness, a killing of faith and hope and love, a deadly
exhausting, and, therefore, a dousing of the fires both of the teacher and
student. And, we disguise that evil with a diminishing “what do they know;”
with being objective; and, with inflating the authority of degree, title,
position, scholarly renown, resume, and tenure. The consequence is that while
academia’s layout of the classroom is sketchy, narrow, misunderstanding, and
misleading, most academics feel it is true and complete. Hence, they see no
need for additional information, feel no need to revise their thinking, have no
need to alter what they do, no matter the findings of new research on teaching
and learning. And, if they do ask questions, they tend to want the answers to
be clean and clear and easy and simple—and, as Clayton Christensen said, at
best tweak and reinforce what they are already doing.”
"People will strive for and get only what they ask for and no more.
It’s amazing what they will not do when they feel they don’t have to, and what
they will do when they feel they have to. If they feel in the quest for
renown, promotion, title, tenure, they have to research and publish, they will
put their all into them, and angrily resent anything and anyone who interferes.
To paraphrase Emerson, our opinion of what we must do or not do, then, is an
expression of our beliefs about ourselves, about the students, about everyone
and everything around us, is a reflection of our character. The ultimate
result in academia, too often, is a widespread affliction of what I call an
empty ‘joyless teaching,’ the only treatment for which is ‘joyful teaching.’”
“‘Joyless teaching’ lacks vision. ’Joyful teaching' is driven by
meaningful purposes. ‘Joyless teaching’ means you take yourself so seriously
that you take others too lightly. “Joyful’ teaching rests on being interested.
‘Joyless teaching’ is synonomous with disinterest. ’Joyful teaching’ means
serving others, having unconditional faith, hope, and love for others.
‘Joyless teaching’ means being selfish. ’Joyful teaching’ means being
selfless. ‘Joyless teaching’ is characterized by selection and exclusion.
‘Joyful teaching’ promotes inclusion.’ ‘Joyless teaching’ is judgment and
conditional. ‘Joyful teaching is nonjudgmental and unconditional.
‘Joyless’ teaching means accepting the assumptions of skewing stereotypes,
generalities, and labels. ’Joyful teaching’ means seeing the uniqueness of
each student as a challenge to impersonal stereotypes and labels. ‘Joyless
teaching’ means feeling,succumbing to, and being restricted by the pain of
coming into contact with a new idea. ’Joyful teaching’ means feeling the pain
and accepting it in order to gain. ‘Joyless teaching’ means you won’t’ give
it all you’ve got. ‘Joyful teaching’ means you will. ‘Joyless teaching’ means
you get bitter. ‘Joyful teaching’ means you get better.”
“There is a saying that you are only as well as you are able to unlock
your inner emotional secrets. And, if you’re afraid to do that, that’s exactly
what you have to do. Over the years, I’ve found that burnout or the fear of
burnout is the result of a secret sadness, a hidden and largely unacknowledged
‘joyless teaching,’ That sadness and joylessness are generated by unrealistic
expectations rooted in impersonal, mythical, and distorting stereotypes,
generalities, and labels. And, those abstractions, in turn, eat away at
attentiveness, awareness, alertness, and mindfulness in general. Now without
those ’ness-es,’ joy takes a heavy hit. Caring takes a heavier hit. Empathy
takes an even more heavy hit. All these hits are because faith, hope, and love
on which empathy and joy rest, are totally left out in the cold. Recent
studies at the Kellogg School, however, show that without a caring and empathy,
we lose our ability to see and to listen; we lose our ability to engage; we
lose our ability to connect; and the consequence is that there is no joy or
enthusiasm in Mudville. In academia, the result is what I call a draining,
depressing, tiring, disconnected, routine ’joyless teaching’. Now, many
academics would say, ‘why does it matter? “Joyless teaching” is just as good
as “joyful teaching.” You want us to coddle them? Why should we? Learning is
not fun and games. After all, there is no gain without pain.’”
“‘No gain without pain.’ That applies to us academics as well. ‘Your
pain,’ said Kahlil Gibran, ‘is the breaking of the shell that encloses your
understanding.’ We cannot be a source of strength until we nurture our own
strength. We cannot encourage others until we find our own courage. We cannot
ask others to take risks until we’re willing to take risks. We cannot find
faith, hope and love until we find them in ourselves. We cannot value others
until we value ourselves. Until you value yourself and your time in class,
until you value each student, you won’t do anything. You’ll miss out on
fueling yourself with significance, meaningfulness, purposefulness, and life.
That’s called ‘burnout.'”
“With that said, I applaud you. You want to be counted among those few
who are seeking for more, who are continuing to explore the mystery of the
classroom and making remarkable discoveries that expand, refine, and improve
their understanding of the classroom’s truths. Each of us is in the darkest
place when we are most certain. We approach the light to the extent we reject
that sureness, accept uncertainty, and seek ways to embark on new adventures of
discovery. Just understand that the path is a hell of a challenge. It not
paved; it’s not brightly lit; there are no road signs; there is no map; it is
winding with twists and bumps; it is a rocky; and it is unending. But, the
journey, when endured, can be so fulfilling, so brimming with lasting and
durable joy.
“Mull this over. Get back to me if you wish. There’s still more to
come.”
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 /\ /\ /\ /\
/\
/^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__
/ \ / \
/ \/ \_ \/ / \/
/\/ / \ /\ \
//\/\/ /\ \__/__/_/\_\/
\_/__\ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole
hills" - / \_
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