“Dr. Edward described his experience as the object of derision by colleagues when he stood up for public welfare, exposing environmental crimes by government engineers, placing himself at great personal, professional, and financial risk by doing so.”
I didn’t get to see this speech, but I wish I had. How awful it must be to experience shame for simply doing what he believed to be right. It takes courage, man. I’m glad to see that he was able to see it for what it was and persevere.
I like your comparison to a tool belt. I, too, am not sure of the exact mechanisms for using what I’ve learned this semester (also a novice teacher), but I’ve got more tools in my tool belt than when we started. That’s good enough for me!
“Well, probably the folks who historically have had robust reasons to be irritated with the current state of affairs and higher education.”
yes yes yes yes!
I also struggle to disconnect from my devices. That being said, whenever I am able to fully disconnect, I almost feel as if I’m a different person. For instance, being out in Floyd County without cell service… I always get a little sad when the service returns.
“The fact there is a “Inclusive VT” program in 2017 worries me a little (even though it is a great program and I appreciate the call for inclusion) these efforts should have been put into the making along time ago.”
That was such an interesting point you put forth–one that I had not really considered until reading your piece. Why haven’t these types of groups and institutions been created prior to 2017? Are we just now beginning to acknowledge the importance of inclusivity in pedagogy? Doesn’t make sense to me either.
This was a really great piece to read, thank you. I agree that framing is extremely important in the classroom and workplace. I also really loved this line in your piece: “Thus, the mind tends to fill the logical gaps with our social and moral judgments, partly shaped by the conventional thought patterns of the society in which we were born, raised, and live.” It is true that much of the way we view the world around us is shaped and altered by the world we already know.
Hey guys, is it too late to read the HP series? Feeling a little left out having read this post and failing to understand the parallels because I’ve never read the books. PLEASE DON’T JUDGE ME. I was a late bloomer -_______-
Reminding the students that they matter to you is so important. They begin to see you as a human being with emotions and opinions and not just a structure at the front of the class who occasionally dishes out some grades. I think it is important that we humanize ourselves, not only in teaching, but in interactions with colleagues, neighbors, and complete strangers. We are all human, after all. Great post, Mary.
Your wow moments were very similar to my wow moments! I’ll never forget the initial panic that took place prior to teaching my first class. Looking back now, the panic was a subtle reminder that it mattered to me. What and how I was teaching was very important to me and I wanted to present the information in an effective manner. I’m sure there will be many more wow moments moving forward.
I have to agree with my fellow commenters, this is a really cool analogy. Like Alex mentioned, the “chew and digest” portion of learning is one of the more critical aspects of truly understanding a topic. It’s important to present the material in an interesting (or appetizing) way, and it then becomes the responsibility of the student to absorb the information in a way that is most comfortable/effective for them individually.
