A new semester brings new challenges

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . September 1, 2011 . 11:31PM

Wednesday was the start of my new semester of teaching. As my undergraduates shuffled into the classroom, I pushed my sweat-soaked hair off of my forehead and looked around at their nervous, but eager faces. I knew they were predominantly freshman and that many of them were brand new to the city and state. I’d hiked up the stairs twice in an attempt to get them books for the course, which the university was providing in a rare show of support for the students. Generally, books weren’t required for the class I was teaching, but the university has chosen to take this course in a new direction of civic service with a service learning component and, thus, they’d decided students needed books to meet this criteria. What this meant for me was that I was now in charge of making sure my students got them and some workplaces are more organized than others.

As I took some deep breaths I tried to remember that I love to teach and that my students propel me forward. Teaching gives me energy rather than draining it, which can be rare for an introvert like myself. I flipped the outdated computer on and promptly mis-entered my password no less than 4 times. As the powerpoint projector was already going, the students giggled nervously and a few made comments that the university was yanking them around with their passwords as well. One cheerfully offered to allow me to use his password and I smiled and thanked him while glaring at the screen and typing the password in more slowly…and was then prompted to change my password which caused a whole new host of issues.

We looked at each other thoughtfully, the class and I. I never know what they will teach me and it’s always something tremendous, heartfelt and amazing. Every single class causes me to laugh and I rarely leave feeling like I wish I hadn’t worked that day. As I started my presentation, I considered carefully how to word what I was about to say and then words tumbled out of my mouth, as they often do, without my really knowing what was going to happen. I began to describe myself, my credentials and then the course that would become a huge part of their learning experience this semester. When I described the large amount of service learning that they would be giving to their community, I stopped talking and looked at my hands.

“This is what defines you. I’m not sure that you realize that. What you give back and what you show is what defines you, not the current community perception of our university. I’m certain that you may have heard things about what people think of your school, what people think of you in the past and what people think they know about what you can do. I’ve heard teachers complain that every single semester they get a bad class and here’s what I can tell you: Those are NOT bad students. Those are bad teachers. Those are teachers who aren’t taking the time to discover the joy and excellence that is within each of you. Every single one of you has something interesting and new to offer me and the opportunity to offer your classmates the chance to grow from you. You are brilliant, amazing and thoughtful and don’t let anyone tell you that you are less than what you are and what you can be either in here or outside of the class.”

Clearly, the freshman have not been exposed to my soapbox speeches yet. Some jaws were dropped, many smiled with such beauty that I needed to take a second and others looked at me like I’d lost my marbles. Students who’ve had me in class before know that I have no problem telling my students that they are like my kids and that I care for them tremendously. The first day of class is the chance to remind them that as they are adults, very few people will grant them trust and belief in them without strings and from the start. In my classroom, they have that until they work to lose it. For some, this is a new experience, this Rogerian model of teaching. For some, they will need to see it to believe it.

Though I’m disappointed to not teach psychology this semester, I am excited about my new class. Yes, yes I am. Why? I think it’s probably the reason that all teachers are excited about the new year regardless of which subject or grade they teach. Students are brilliant, amazing and thoughtful and with them comes the chance for us to grow in ways we never thought possible. For us to be challenged and to think in ways that we haven’t been able to in the past. To reach people in ways we never thought we might.

It’s not about the subject, it’s about how you do what you do.