the encouragement lounge: One of the cool things about teaching, is learning.

Friday, September 25, 2009

One of the cool things about teaching, is learning.

Earlier this week, my colleague Sandie and I held a panel relating to the G-20. The panel, G-20: Poverty, Power, and Protest was designed to help our students gain a better understanding of the G-20 (being held here in Pittsburgh right now) and to think more deeply about related issues. The panelists were terrific: Dr. Allyson Lowe, Sr. Pat McCann, Paula Harris, and Joyce Rothermel. Among them, we had a political scientist, an activist Sister of Mercy, a member of Pgh's ACLU board, and the CEO of the Pittsburgh Food Bank.

Watching the news last night, I realized just how much I learned from the panel and from the questions asked by my students... how I understood the issues more deeply. I am grateful for that opportunity. This also reminds me of how I learn, on a regular basis, from my own students. As they bring their various perspectives, informed by a range of careers from nursing to non-profit, as well as the rest of their life experiences.... my understanding, even on the things that I teach, is deepened.

Whether you sit in my class or someone else's.... know that what you bring to the conversation makes an impact... the mutuality of teaching and learning is a gift.

Thanks all! Good luck with the work!

Harriet

1 comment:

Dancing With FeySeptember 26, 2009 at 3:17 PM
My dad used to be a college professor, and he told me that you learn more as a teacher than you do as a student.
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Working adult students, on my mind...

I hope this blog will be helpful to friends and others involved in a variety of endeavors. However, I created the blog with students in mind and continue to develop it with that specific group as my focus.

I believe that with the increase in evening, weekend, and low-residency programs, students are working more and more in isolation. If we were all full-time students on campus, we would have the informal support that comes with being able to go down the hall and talk with a colleague, etc. But instead, we are working late nights and weekends at home in front of the laptop.

With that in mind, I hope the encouragement lounge provides brief moments of respite and energizing connection. This does not at all replace valuable face-to-face contact. Many aspects of the academic journey can only be addressed via in-depth conversations with colleagues and teachers. And I would always rather sit down and talk with someone than to communicate online. Nonetheless, my aim is to give you one more channel for quick hits of support.