Reposted from March 26, 2024
A few days ago, I was observing an online classroom. There were a couple of points where the professor was interacting with an individual student. The student said something that I could tell the professor wanted to give some additional input to, maybe even correct. Rather than say something like: no, that’s not right. Here’s the correct information (which a professor is in a position to do–even expected to do), she asked a question: would it be okay for you to feel/think/say ________? Immediately the student grasped the new possibility (posed as a question) and embraced it. No one was made to feel wrong or stupid. I watch in amazement. I want to be like that! I wrote it down so that I could further ponder that approach.
Recently I, along with several other members of our congregation, attended the Southern Odyssey for Unitarian Universalist Leadership (SOUUL). My first meeting was with a small group where we engaged in some inspiring and provocative conversation. Sitting on the table in front of us were smooth, fist sized painted stones. We were invited to use one of the stones as a “talking stone,” meaning that whenever you wanted to speak, you asked for the stone and held it while speaking into the conversation. I’ve used talking sticks before, but never a stone. The artwork on it was fun, and holding the weighted stone in my hands felt grounding and centering while I was speaking. It felt significant when I handed it on to someone else or received it myself. I want to try that sometime!
These are just two simple examples of something inherent in us as human beings. Both of them enhanced my life experience in some way. We learn from and are transformed by each other. Just being in proximity to other human beings who might be doing or saying something new to me immediately invites me into that new thing. For good or for ill.
The power of transformation is in us and around us. We are changed by and changing each other all the time. Being reminded of that makes me want to pay closer attention to what I am learning and what I am showing others how to do!
~Bob Patrick
One can tell you are a master teacher. Many “professors” are the sage on the stage. they retain their status and highfalutin esteem by positioning the student as a receiver of knowledge instead of an autonomous thinker. When the professor lets go of the need to protect his/her status and gives the “discovery ” of knowledge over to the student, that is a mark of a “Master” who is not intimidated by free and autonomous thinkers. They say
” Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” if we could all find the ability to share/teach/receive on this level, we could certainly ease our conflicts, be more objective and share respect for all thinkers.
What do you think?