I think we've all been there. Woke up late, it's raining outside, the feeling that we're forgetting to do something is creeping in. I've felt this way a lot lately, and in fact I have forgot to do several things this past week. The natural tendency is to avoid any and all responsibilities, go back to bed, and not think about it. Wouldn't it be so much nicer if life worked that way? We have obligations to our classes, students, parents, significant others, and to ourselves. Inevitably we will drop the ball on one of those obligations at some point, so how do we deal with it? A bullshit excuse, obviously.
I had a student recently send me an email detailing why she was unable to complete an assignment on time. This particular student has had an issue with turning in assignments before, and has gotten sick more frequently than all of the other students combined. Especially for an online class it seems that an assignment should be completed on time. Being sick doesn't prevent you from reading an article and commenting on it, right? Well in this case the student once again claimed that she wasn't feeling well. She then felt compelled to share that she was scratched by a squirrel, requiring a visit to the campus clinic, and adding to her list of reasons she was unable to complete the assignments.
What am I to make of this? Scratched by a squirrel?!?
Come on... Let's assume this played out the way she described. How does that really prevent her from completing an online assignment that has been posted for over a week? After initially laughing at her email I thought about how I should respond. I tried to think about how hooks, Friere, or Palmer would respond.
Friere would probably remind me that I am already acting as an oppressor by dismissing this students struggle. I don't know what this student is going through. Maybe she works full time and can't complete assignments during the week. Maybe she is allergic to squirrels and it really affected her ability to complete assignments! How would I know except by asking and understanding her on a more personal level? Palmer would agree that only by connecting with this student can I teach her more whollly. I am reminded of his quote: “Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a world for themselves.”
My goal in doing this is to help empower students. Connecting with them and allowing them to "weave" that world is necessary to achieve that empowerment. I've used bullshit excuses before, and my parents, teachers, bosses have probably shared it and laughed about it with their friends. What an easy connection I could have made with the student. She got scratched by a squirrel, and when I was in college I probably said my car broke down so I could play a new video game that just came out. The important part is that she gets the assignment done and is learning the material. For future excuses I get I need to remember my goal is to empower students, and that whatever they might be going through, whether they decide to disclose it to me honestly or not, that I should afford them the opportunity to learn and grow.
As long as there aren't more squirrel attacks in the future....
p.s. I couldn't help but think of a squirrel revolution when thinking of what Friere would do in this situation and felt this was especially relevant:
References:
Palmer, P. J. (2017). The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life. Jossey-Bass, a Wiley brand.
No comments:
Post a Comment