Who's responsibility is it - an authoritative figure telling you what you should do with your life? Or you? Yes, it IS a lot of responsibility, but it is YOUR LIFE.
I am always amazed at how many of my new College students actually feel I should spoon-feed them the information. Give them the answers on the test. Tell them exactly what they need to know, with no room for expansion or just exposure to new ideas that may not be on a test.
Or, heaven forbid, not give them 24 hour entertainment for their learning environment. In a word, that learning might be boring at times.
And nope, I don't cop out with the standard "your job might be boring at times". But I do put the emphasis right back at the student - of course with much resentment from the student.
WHAT??? Expect the student to be responsible for their own learning? That a student's failure could be due to their own lack of studying/caring/doing the work?? How dare I imply this? How dare I NOT take it personally if a student fails?
Because I do care - I must let each student find his/her own way. I guide, I lead, I prod, I question, I provoke, I provide potential answers and facts - but I can never pretend I am responsible for the student's learning. I may fail to properly guide for all the students' different styles of learning, I may fail to provide a correct fact (and hopefully a student will catch my mistake before it becomes a problem, which they usually do!).
But I will never actually BE that student, so the learning HAS to come from the student.
And yes, I will continually learn from each and every student I have had, and will continue to have the pleasure of "guiding".
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Copyright September 27, 2006. Paym Bergson and Suite 101. All rights reserved.
