Winding Down

Graduation has come and gone. The summer sessions are over. We finally have a chance to clean out the debris accumulated in our offices, to meet colleagues for lunch, to have meetings on those projects that we discussed all through the year.

Yet there's that let-down feeling hovering in the air. What to do with ourselves? Where to focus?

Reflecting on a remarkable year, I have to say that I am astonished at what we accomplish with our students. They deserve much credit. They come to class, for the most part, with the idea that they want to learn. This is an essential ingredient that we must constantly strive to capitalize on. This is what should be at the forefront of our minds when we tend to be distracted by the few students who disappoint or frustrate us. It is our jobs as teachers to keep that positive energy flowing, to keep feeding the hungry minds. If we don't, we lose them. They'll go somewhere else for satisfaction. We are lucky to have students who want to learn in our classes, and we need to remember that.

I am thinking a lot about themes that emerged from the students' evaluations of their classes. This is where they get to speak to us directly about how they learn and what they want. Despite what some teachers think (as they become preoccupied with those few slackers once again), the students want to learn and want us to teach them in a way that they can learn. They are ecstatic when a class goes well.

Two other themes emerge. One is how sensitive students are to our moods. We often think of them as impervious to adults, but they are really constantly reading us. Sure, we should be allowed to be human and express real feelings to them. But we may also have to explain those expressions, to interpret them for the students, so that they don't misunderstand. And huge, seemingly unexplained fluctuations in temperament are really upsetting to them.

The other theme I want to talk about is our role as figures who can inspire and motivate. Our students want to be inspired and motivated, to be uplifted, to be encouraged. I'm sure all students need this, but our students need it a hundredfold. Thus, we need to be conscious of how we can turn a negative event or quality into a means for true inspiration. The teachers who can do this have our students greatest admiration -- and I think they deserve it.

More thoughts will come as the summer progresses. What is on your minds?