I have heart those who said that college was the best time of their life. They site freedom from responsibility, idealism, and joy taken in things now no longer enjoyable (sex, alcohol, etc.) This thought came to me as I expressed the same sentiment today during a conversation with some friends at my own institution of higher learning, and yet, what I was contemplating missing, was the exact situation I was in. I was sitting around on some couches in the library talking. Our conversation ranged all over from the inherent goodness of humanity to the effect of a believe in general intelligence on teaching, and the evils of censorship. I love open conversation that is spiced with gentle, and not so gentle, teasing that makes one reexamine one's beliefs and truly see things from another point of view. I hope I always have community like this.
We talked a lot about intelligence. I think that my personal wishes that everyone have the same potential for intelligence are laughable, but at the same time, how else can I teach? I cannot simply say to one," You're smart, I shall do my upmost to challenge you," and to another, "You have very little capacity for learning, let me refer you to this trade school, so I don't have to deal with you anymore." I don't know how to reconcile this, and yet I sincerely believe that a giving into the belief that some students simply can't learn on some level would be greatly detrimental to my potential classroom.
"...give them cake!"
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1 comment:
Amen, sister.
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