Fall 1999
Vol 8 Issue 1
IN THIS ISSUE...
Student Voices-Insights on Invaluable Learning Experiences
Taking Learning and Leadership Seriously
Redefining the Learning Environment
A Win-Win Situation for Everyone
Challenging Beliefs about Good Teaching
An Emphasis on Quality Learning
Involvement in the Teaching Process
Providing Support and Motivation
The Human Side of Education
Learning at a Community College: An International Perspective
ASSIDERE
Getting Students Involved in Assessment
Students Sharing Their Learning
SEE ALSO...
The Labyrinth
Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction
The Human Side of Education-- What Really Matters!
Shelley Clapp, PVCC
At age forty, and after working as an X-Ray Technologist for twenty years, I decided it was time for a different career. I knew it would require going back to school and a lot of hard work. At my age, school seemed like a frightening idea. I was venturing into a world of fast-paced, youthful minds, and this was extremely intimidating to me. Due to a long absence from the educational arena, most of my basic classes did not transfer. Therefore, I was required to take a placement test. Well, much to my dismay, I was placed not in an advanced reading class, Honors English, or ENG101. No, I was to begin my venture in a combination English and Reading class titled ENG/RDG092. My heart sank; I immediately felt defeated. Surely, there must have been a mistake. At that moment, I began to question my worthiness as a person and as a student. Would I truly be able to accomplish my college goals?
One can only imagine the emotional roller coaster I was riding as I questioned my abilities until the first day I walked into my English/Reading class. The class was comprised of a wide range of ages and ethnic backgrounds. They all appeared to have the same look of fear as I. Little did I realize at the time, Dr. Rings and Mrs. Adams would not only teach me proper sentence structure and important thinking skills, but they would also express their genuine interest in me. Dr. Rings' and Mrs. Adams' compassion was vital in promoting my self-worth and provided me with the motivation I needed to continue my education.
Through my daily commitment of class attendance, I quickly realized that returning to the world of academia was not just about learning the discipline. The once formidable task of maintaining a household, working at the hospital, shuttling children off to their athletic practices, and finding time for me, now became an even more rigorous task. However, there was a benefit I had not counted on. I began learning more about myself through the discipline of my studies. Dr. Rings and Mrs. Adams helped me do this. For example, one of their most important writing assignments was a short paragraph designed to help me discover myself. Even though I revealed to Mrs. Adams and Dr. Rings my feelings of fear, personal transparencies, and vulnerabilities, I realized that, in order to learn and grow as a person and student, I needed to look inward and evaluate my strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Rings and Mrs. Adams seemed to always understand my vulnerability; this understanding exerted an incredible amount of influence on my education. Their cheery "hellos" and soft pats on my back silenced my fears as they continually challenged me as a student. As a result, they changed my educational destiny.
Not only did they understand my inner turmoil, but their compassion was also expressed for personal situations, which sometimes controlled my life. When I was unable to attend a class or complete an assignment because I was taking a sick child to the doctor or addressing a high school discipline problem, their compassion was demonstrated. As a student, these are tremendous gifts from an instructor. Dr. Rings and Mrs. Adams both took a genuine interest in me as an individual first. Then by getting to know me, they helped nurture me as a student.
These qualities of understanding and compassion could be observed by their methods of involvement in the classroom dynamics. Their participation became the moving force directing the class. Through their participation, they demonstrated respect and compassion for the students' progressive stages of academic development. For instance, the class was once having difficulty understanding the concept of a preposition and a prepositional phrase. After repeated attempts of writing sentences on the board, Mrs. Adams asked the entire class to stand. She then said we were to pretend we were a mouse. She used the analogy that if the mouse could do it to a mountain, it was a preposition.
As silly as it sounds, I continue to use that analogy to this day. For the first time, I understood that learning a new skill could take on a variety of forms and functions.
Teachers play an important role in the lives of their students: mentor, instructor, and counselor. Oftentimes, it is not the academic discipline which matters most; it is the five minutes of an understanding ear and a kind face that is enough to get a student through tough times. If this is done, the academics will follow.
Therefore, the simple act of empathy and kindness must never be underestimated. I think these gestures of compassion are what make the memories of my ENG/RDG092 class so special to me. It was the willingness of Mrs. Adams and Dr. Rings to listen to my fears and their expressed concerns about my day-to-day family situations which eliminated the self-doubt that crept into my mind. It was their human compassion combined with the ENG/RDG092 content that made this class most rewarding for me. These gestures were extremely significant in my eyes, and it has been a tremendous motivating factor as I continue to strive for my goal: a degree in dietetics.
