tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post115300303071326748..comments2023-07-04T21:12:47.972-05:00Comments on Why Am I Not Surprised?: Fighting For Our Liveschangeseekerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153518085356161222006-07-21T16:41:00.000-05:002006-07-21T16:41:00.000-05:00Professor: Yes, yes, and more yes! And I'll be te...<B>Professor</B>: Yes, yes, and more yes! And I'll be teaching this coming academic year at a small, private, Catholic university where many of the students have come from much more sheltered environments. So check back with me in a few months (and thanks for the heads-up :-D).<BR/><BR/>Even as an adjunct, I'm often more readily available than many of the full-time folks and they watch the steady stream coming in and out of my office as if I'm giving away free money. Occasionally, I get a comment about how it's nice to have all that time to dedicate to students instead of "having to" focus on research all the time...?! Whatever.<BR/><BR/>*shakes head sadly*changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153506891794663322006-07-21T13:34:00.000-05:002006-07-21T13:34:00.000-05:00I hadn't even considered that my students were dif...<I>I hadn't even considered that my students were different somehow from private school students. I have some with dazzling capabilities and many who routinely dispatch university level work with casual grace. And I have met enough upper class people in my life to know that most of them would not fall into either group no matter where they got their degree.</I><BR/><BR/>Yes, I agree, with one difference: my students are <I>way</I> less spoiled and sheltered than many of the ones I had at private schools. It is <B>such a relief.</B><BR/><BR/><I>...many of the difficulties of my students in public universities and community colleges are set up in one way or the other--or at least exacerbated by--social institutions and social forces over which they may have little, if any, control.</I><BR/><BR/>Definitely. I only wish my institution would give them the kind of respect and support that students at private schools get--or that I got as an undergraduate at a large, public R1, for that matter. All too often, I see the institution saying to itself, well, we're giving them a degree, isn't that enough? But no, it isn't, especially if they don't have college-educated parents they can turn to for aid and abettance on issues like future plans.<BR/><BR/>Now it is summer, and I'm not even teaching, and I claim not to be the I-love-to-teach type, but I've still got office hours for: resume writing, Peace Corps applications, Fulbright applications, grad school advice, and so on. By their own behavior, the professors I had--and I am talking about professors with Guggenheims, MacArthurs, and so on--gave me the distinct impression that this was part of the job. Where I am now, if you don't do this stuff, you end up with students who have degrees but not enough skills, or degrees and skills, but not enough information on what they might do with these. I find this really irresponsible, especially now that college is so expensive no matter where you study.Professor Zerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04909063513731044826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153494976129314932006-07-21T10:16:00.000-05:002006-07-21T10:16:00.000-05:00It occurs to me as well (and here I am commenting ...It occurs to me as well (and here I am commenting on my own post--how lame is <B><I>that</B></I>?), that many of the difficulties of my students in public universities and community colleges are set up in one way or the other--or at least exacerbated by--social institutions and social forces over which they may have little, if any, control.changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153484584993761752006-07-21T07:23:00.000-05:002006-07-21T07:23:00.000-05:00Professor: I hadn't even considered that my studen...<B>Professor</B>: I hadn't even considered that my students were different somehow from private school students. I have some with dazzling capabilities and many who routinely dispatch university level work with casual grace. And I have met enough upper class people in my life to know that most of them would not fall into either group no matter where they got their degree. But I <I>am</I> one of those "love-to-teach" types :-D and I get closer to many of my students than most professors necessarily do. (If the class has fewer than sixty students, for example, I learn most of their names.) I might be totally mistaken, but I suspect that I'd find a representative number of students manifesting life-changing difficulties in more exclusive institutions, as well. Maybe not the same difficulties overall, but childhood molestation (for example) can and does happen in any family and just because a person is rich doesn't mean they've been emotionally supported.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, this post represents real stories, but over a long period of time, of course. And I didn't focus on the many, many students who have routinely held me for hours after a three-hour class--late into the night sometimes--to discuss, to question, to explore, to learn, to grow.<BR/><BR/>Enter <B>Anonymous</B>: (More than likely a case in point.) Greetings, Former Student. Glad to know you drop by and feel inclined to join the discussions--still. You're welcome here anytime. And good luck in grad school. I'm delighted to have had an opportunity to be part of your evolution. Pass it on.changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153458129480262822006-07-21T00:02:00.000-05:002006-07-21T00:02:00.000-05:00im a student moving into grad school at a public u...im a student moving into grad school at a public university. i have only had a 'public' education, even when i was paying out-of-state tuition fees, and i could never imagine studying or working in any other type of environment. my parents always told me it doesn't matter how much you pay for it, it's what you make of it. i don't know if im just fortunate enough to have taken the right classes, but i've had a number of really oustanding and very good instructors (hensley happens to be one of the few that top the list). and i'm so grateful for the variety of people i've met... from such a variety of backgrounds. simply: it's been awesome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153451481852367962006-07-20T22:11:00.000-05:002006-07-20T22:11:00.000-05:00I am always heartened to see it when someone takes...I am always heartened to see it when someone takes the kinds of students we have (at these non-elite schools) seriously. I'm not the I-love-to-teach type, and people who can't read do not tend to pass my courses, but my students are very interesting people and they deserve for us to try. I've got some great student stories and/but I notice that some of my colleagues at more 'selective' schools are horrified--both that I have the kinds of students I have, and that I would admit it. (I think that's a weird attitude they have.) And/but I like these students, they are lively.Professor Zerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04909063513731044826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153441196799550362006-07-20T19:19:00.000-05:002006-07-20T19:19:00.000-05:00What I'm really doing here, David, is celebrating ...What I'm really doing here, <B>David</B>, is celebrating the indomitable human spirit (my own and others') in the face of pain and difficulty. I find those spirits beautiful and their triumphs full of joy. But it doesn't make the pain invisible.<BR/><BR/>And speaking of invisible pain, <B>D.</B>, did you realize that you twice used the term "man" to mean "humankind"? I'm not being crabby. Just thought I'd mention it.<BR/><BR/>Welcome to my house. I'll come visit you soon. :-)changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153413634475035012006-07-20T11:40:00.000-05:002006-07-20T11:40:00.000-05:00You rise a lot of questions and paint a world that...You rise a lot of questions and paint a world that is out of control. As a poet I know how you feel. But sometime (and it may seem like most of the time) there is joy in the world. I belive that it is all in the canon of humankind to be cruel to each other and to be selfishly out to please number one.<BR/> To be fair there is some joy to be found in man, we can be both tender toward eachother, this may at times seem rare if you watch and listen to the nightly news. There is joy to be found in us, although it may seem small and far and few. You can not give up hope, but take the good with the bad. Life is short in the big picture and in the end it may seem that it have all been for not. It is up to each of us to bring peace and love into the world. If I sound like a poet who is wearing rose color glasses. I'm not and if you spend some time with my poetry you will see that sometime I take man to task for the way that we treat each other.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03719433739658514281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153279359095046692006-07-18T22:22:00.000-05:002006-07-18T22:22:00.000-05:00Sounds like your daughter has a clue, Glenda. :-D...Sounds like your daughter has a clue, <B>Glenda</B>. :-Dchangeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153272763965632372006-07-18T20:32:00.000-05:002006-07-18T20:32:00.000-05:00I once spoke on the social construction of race an...I once spoke on the social construction of race and racism in a 5th grade class in a school that was heavily racially mixed. Two weeks later, I heard that a boy student shot and killed a girl student there. I've always wondered if it was one of the boys in the class and whether I had wakened a sleeping dog without giving him enough to eat. Didn't have the nerve to find out for certain, though.changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153264507222539242006-07-18T18:15:00.000-05:002006-07-18T18:15:00.000-05:00Gosh, I hate when my smile winds up on a different...Gosh, I hate when my smile winds up on a different line. Let's try it again: ;-)changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153264423834129132006-07-18T18:13:00.000-05:002006-07-18T18:13:00.000-05:00The situation in Lebanon is making me crazy, too, ...The situation in Lebanon is making me crazy, too, <B>H4P</B>. It's so wrong. And it's so supported by the U.S. government.<BR/><BR/>Great story, <B>Rachel</B>. After a long time, the stories pile up. Sometimes, they're triumphs. Sometimes, they're not. But you can't take it personally or you'll lose your ability to keep doing it. I held an exam review during office hours today. None of my athletes showed up. Sigh. Hope they didn't need it.<BR/><BR/><B>Poetryman</B>, if I thank you for thanking me, we're gonna get into a very weird dance, so I'm just gonna wink and smile. ;-) But it's nice not to be alone with all this...emotion.changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153240361281097322006-07-18T11:32:00.000-05:002006-07-18T11:32:00.000-05:00Thanks, teacher friend! :>)Thanks, teacher friend! :>)Mark Prime (tpm/Confession Zero)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04683863540465969835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153175865495692932006-07-17T17:37:00.000-05:002006-07-17T17:37:00.000-05:00What I thing is this: are problems our not as big...What I thing is this: are problems our not as big as the poor Lesbanese who are being killed every day just because they are gay. Israel is full of homophobes and somethink has gots to change. We should take a word form the grate Jock Shiraq when he say if you got a problem wish headballah then take up with headballah not the Lesbanese.<BR/><BR/>I blog extendedly on this at my site in a post call <I> sacre bleu </I>. <BR/><BR/>We need focus on that rite now.Hillary for Presidenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14869042674911833609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153096281263479072006-07-16T19:31:00.000-05:002006-07-16T19:31:00.000-05:00Thank you, Mary, that's the way I see it, too.And ...Thank you, <B>Mary</B>, that's the way I see it, too.<BR/><BR/>And thanks to you, too, <B>iaintlying</B>. The blessings are gratefully accepted.<BR/><BR/>And what can I say, <B>Poetryman</B>, about having you set my comments section ablaze. I hear you. I hear you.changeseekerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350201531677548579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153068114996978852006-07-16T11:41:00.000-05:002006-07-16T11:41:00.000-05:00Teach us somethingIf you don’t we’ll not knowThat ...Teach us something<BR/>If you don’t we’ll not know<BR/>That this war never ends<BR/>That we will be breathing the eternal war of our forbearers<BR/>We’ll not know that we exist in the bomb-tripped retaliation<BR/>Of hostilities not taught in history books or churches<BR/>Not discussed at town hall meetings or in our homes<BR/>A history that will be neighbor to our children’s duration<BR/>Whose marrow will be dust settling upon their bitter air<BR/>Of which their children breathe and envelop its despair<BR/><BR/>How much more will it take for us to tell the truth,<BR/>To teach the truth, to sing the truth, to change our “truth”<BR/><BR/>We are a rigid-plated contraption<BR/>Our engine’s dry of a useful knowledge<BR/>We are bred as a warring machine<BR/>The blades of our rhetoric based on lies<BR/>Bullets in our history stamped “friendly fire”<BR/>Arias of aggression harmonized to a drunken two-step<BR/>Our feet at birth tap out its refrain<BR/>Our hands move in trigger-pull simulation<BR/>Minds filled with jingoisms<BR/>And fast food and television<BR/>And our trees are cut down<BR/>To reveal a conjured bogeyman<BR/><BR/>Teach us something<BR/>If you don’t we’ll not know<BR/>That this age had a beautiful march for freedom<BR/>That our treachery was not the status quo<BR/>That the Iraqi people were not monsters<BR/>We’ll not know<BR/>That the men and women wearing the uniform<BR/>Were conned by an amoral group of ruffians<BR/>Teach us raw fact<BR/>Dismantle our hardened armor<BR/>Oil our dry engines with veracity<BR/>Let us breed not war<BR/>Let us breed peace<BR/>Teach us thatMark Prime (tpm/Confession Zero)https://www.blogger.com/profile/04683863540465969835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153067185169520932006-07-16T11:26:00.000-05:002006-07-16T11:26:00.000-05:00The fight is very real and thank-you for taking th...The fight is very real and thank-you for taking the time and effort to make sure that those that you teach are equipped for whatever our particular fight might be. I learned from you that knowledge is<BR/>not only power, but a formidable weapon when grounded in the truth,<BR/>truth being, alethea, the actual base at the appearance of what is real. Thanks for making sure that we are locked and loaded with knowledge and truth. Thanks for encouraging us to engage our brain and whatever other resources we have available, to make our quality of life as an individual better and the lives of those around us. Much love for you and may many blessings overtake you.<BR/>Fight on!iaintlyinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12854768261200784024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16645996.post-1153004666413830642006-07-15T18:04:00.000-05:002006-07-15T18:04:00.000-05:00That you made it throught to one, just one, is a t...That you made it throught to one, just one, is a tribute. That little ray of light that hits the mark and opens one up to the possibilities of a real, as opposed to artificial life. Well done, Changeseeker!Peacechick Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808832340636218022noreply@blogger.com