In my January Reflections article I mention advocates in one school of educational thought argue we build colleges and universities to prepare leaders in all professions to tackle the problems in their chosen fields and find solutions. As long as we have innovation and human interaction we will have problems.
In the article I ask readers what they want to do with their education and what problem or problems they would like to solve or at least make better in their professions. Then I give examples of problems that need solutions. Some students tell me some problems don’t have solutions. I disagree that some problems don’t have solutions. Every problem has a solution. Just because we haven’t found it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist somewhere.
All this said I don’t agree completely with this philosophy of education. As a principle aim formal education should give students the tools to solve their personal problems and to better understand themselves. In this school the questions change. Instead of questions about what problems we want to solve we ask – what do I want to do with my life? For what purpose did I arrive on Earth? Where do my strengths lie? What makes me happy? What do I value? In this school I become the problem in search of a solution.
As a fan of Socrates, the father of this school, I agree with the concept of students as engineers where they fashion their lives instead of bridges and buildings. I have used my formal and continued studies to fashion a better me. I still have a lot of improvements to make so every year a write a short list of areas in my life I want to improve through study and reflection.
This year I want to teach better. About seven or eight years ago I reignited my passion for my profession. I felt burned out and bored with what I did so I started to change many of the things I did in the classroom. I edited many lectures which bored my students and me and didn’t accomplish much. I also edited a lot of busy work. Now I don’t use a book and have created various exercises that individualize instruction. I spend as much time as possible one on one with students and almost nothing in life gives me as much pleasure as when students thank me for how much I helped them and how pleasurable I made their time with me. This year I want to do better. I want to read more about the art of teaching to learn more how the best in my profession do it. This includes books by and about sports coaches and military leaders whom I consider some of the best teachers. I want to create an even more pleasant environment in my classroom so students will want to come to class every day and I want to develop my “teacher brand”. Students will know and remember me for good things, my philosophy, style and approach. I want to refine my teaching philosophy of simplicity and remember what Professor Eckhart wrote. “The more wise and powerful a master, the more directly he creates his work and the simpler it is.”
I want to be a better American. I have grown tired of those people and this includes fellow Americans who blame my country for everything that ails people around the world. People leave their homes and sometimes risk their lives to reach the greatest country in history as they search for opportunities and rights not found anywhere else in the world. Our farmers feed much of the world’s hungry and our soldiers and Marines protect the weak around the world. In return the ungrateful label Americans greedy and our soldiers and Marines rapists and terrorists. I’ve even had students who came here from other countries call our soldiers and Marines this. This year I will retort any false criticisms of my country. Most of these criticisms come form those ignorant of history or who get cursory news from propagandists who hate and envy my country. I don’t subscribe to the idea that my fellow Americans and our elected officials can’t make mistakes but I do have a sense of proportion. When I compare my country to others I see we stand way ahead of the rest of the world in innovation, charity, economic standards, sacrifice and freedom. Our young men and women bleed and die and our farmers toil so strangers in strange lands may live and eat. In no other country can individuals arrive destitute and illiterate from their native lands and through their desire and effort acquire great wealth and happiness.
There you have my short list for this year. I recommend you write yours for a more focused, productive year.
Copyright Bert Lorenzo, 2008
