Copyright © Louis Schmier and Atwood Publishing.
Date: Fri 11/12/2004 2:53 AM
Random Thought: There's Nothing To Teaching
I had just returned from the exciting POD conference in Montreal. For
almost two days, I ate, walked and talked among a large group of people
associated with Teaching and Learning Centers on various collegiate
campuses. In my reflections of the conference, I had said that to the
person the people attending were a caring and mindful gathering of neat
people, of educators dedicated to improving teaching and learning. Everyone
really did care. They cared about each other; everyone really cared about
their colleagues and students; everyone cared about teaching and learning;
everyone listened carefully to each other; everyone was truly interested
what each had to say and what each was doing; everyone was supportive and
encouraging. The presenters in session after session dealt with ways to
improve teaching and learning. Then, last night, still flying as high as
the plane that brought me home, I received a sort message from a professor
at a northeaster college which illustrated the difficulties the people in
the Teaching and Learning Centers face. Short it may have been, but that
message said a lot about academia. "Dr. Schmier," she wrote, "I don't see
why you make such a big deal about teaching. There's really nothing to it."
That was it!!
"There's really nothing to it." You can imagine how I felt, especially
having just return from a conference of Teaching and Learning Center
personnel who would argue that there's a lot more to it. Needless to say,
it raised an eyebrow. I wondered if this professor felt and displayed the
same cavalier attitude towards her research and writing. I read that that
short message over and over again. Then, it struck me this morning on my
pre-dawn walk. She was absolutely right!! There is nothing to teaching!
In fact, she didn't go far enough. There are a whole lot of nothings to
teaching, to effective teaching:
Nothing is routine
Nothing is mistake free
Nothing is comfortable
Nothing is safe
Nothing is convenient
Nothing is simple
Nothing is taken for granted
Nothing is always the same
Nothing is easy
Nothing is perfect
Nothing is quick
Nothing is guaranteed
Nothing is insignificant
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is objective
Nothing is disengaging
Nothing is from a distance
Yep, there's a whole lot of nothings to teaching. When anyone accepts
these nothings to teaching, those nothings will matter; and that will be
something.
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