I wasn't planning on this, but the heavy rains came.  A verbal nor'easter.  Torrents of unexpected flooding off-line e-sneers, e-rejections, e-flames, e-jeers, e-giggles, e-sarcasms, e-snides.  But, I won't let them inundate or sweep me away.  As I once said, touchy?  Sure.  I struggle to reach out and touch a student in need to make a positive difference.  Feely?  Of course.  I get to know and feel who each student is, what is going on inside her or him, what is going on outside the classroom with her or him, and I am empathetic and then sympathetic.  Dreamy?  Of course.  But, as I tell the students, dreams work out only if you work hard at them.  Fuzzy?  Heck, no!  I see very clearly; I listen sharply.  



	This acid rain of disparaging remarks is seeded by a negative "perception bias" held by too many academics, that has led to a lot of "attribution error."  Too many academics live in an alternative reality.  Too often, far too often, they're blinded by their own self-interest to swell their resumes, cowed by their quest for tenure, promotion, and/or position, and swayed by their belief that their fake world of Taylor and Skinner actually exists.  That is, they find and point out only that which creates the illusion that their myths are reality; that reinforces, validates, and proves the accuracy of their preconceptions, assumptions, presumptions.  But, why is it only okay to express negative emotions such as resignation, frustration, disappointment, and even anger under the aegis of being objective?  



	Oh, I see, it's okay to claim with misguided pride that your intent is to weed out the myriad of "don't belongs," to separate the lethargic chafe from the self-motivating wheat, to send all those inept and unprepared "they're letting anyone ins" packing.  It's okay to condemn students because in their world, students by nature dislike work, refuse to assume responsibility, want to be told what to do, and have to be threatened and controlled before they'll do anything.  But, identify yourself as a nurturer, and you're condemned as a hapless romantic, a starry-eyed dreamer.  Mention "love," and the place goes ballistic as if you've uttered a satanic incantation that threatens to destroy the Ivory Tower.  Why the sarcastic giggles when you say we academics are in the business of saving and transforming lives as much as, if not far more, than merely transmitting information, most of which will be soon obsolete?  Why the sneering faces when you say our mission is to help students beat the odds rather than to beat them down?  Why the nasty comments when you say our task to help students learn to deal with stress and pressure rather than to pressure them.  Why the "its not my job" flaming when you say you should be there for any student to turn to rather than turning away and turning out the many students who don't fit your prejudiced image?  Why the jeering laughs when you say our job is to strengthen a student's sense of belonging, self-esteem, self-respect, and self-confidence rather than brand and treat them demeaningly as "don't belongs?"  Why the snide comments when you say you should have a special place in your heart for each and every student rather than bidding them good riddance as "non-performers" and "non-achievers?"  Why is to curse more acceptable than to bless, to be cold than to be warm, to be distant than close, to be objectively aloof than subjectively involved, to be bored with than excited by, to be callous than to be empathetic, to be a "ho hum" than to be a "wow," to be disinterested than to be interested, to be apathetic than to love?  

But, too many of us, far too many, with too much detached arrogance and self-righteousness, with a "grandiloquence," don't cop to all this.  Too many prefer the comfort and safety and convenience of having students follow our often harsh, commanding, and often threatening orders to the anxiety of standing back and granting them autonomy and ownership. 



	Let me give you something to think about, to think about slowly.  You do know that we're not making ourselves feel better when we practice forms of disengagement, don't you?  The devil's not doing it; the students aren't doing it; the administrators aren't doing it; we are doing it, to ourselves!  The research done by the likes of Julius Segal, Roy Baumeister, and a host of others, shows that when people are excluded, disconnected, ignored, and rejected, everything and everyone suffers.  That includes us, the classroom perpetrators!  We victimize ourselves!  We feel just as miserable making students feel miserable as the students feel miserable.  Interesting, isn't it.  Think about it.  I'll repeat that because it's worth driving home the point.  The form of separation, selecting out, distancing, the threatening carrot and stick approach so many of us practice in the classroom not only makes the students miserable, it makes us, we who are doing the disconnecting and chilling, miserable as well.  That's why we feel the less that than happy frustration, resignation, and/or any other negative emotion. And some of us wonder why so many academics seek satisfaction in the lab and archive?   Our brains are no different than those of the students.  These researchers, and other "brainologists," also found that such exclusion and disconnection triggers the brain's dorsal lateral cortex.  That's the same areas of the brain that are active when people feel physical pain.  Similar parts of the brain and often in similar ways process emotional and physical pain. Hence, the joylessness of teaching and the enjoyment of research.



	We human beings are extremely sensitive to being socially rejected. Being connected and belonging is a powerful human survival mechanism against being prey.  It's so powerful that the stronger the feelings of being unnoticed, unworthy, unwanted, disconnected, the greater the need for acceptance.  I read about it every day in student journals and faculty e-mails; I see it everyday around me; I hear it everyday in conversations with students and colleagues, as well as at conferences.  When we professors don't feel connected in the classroom, we find safe, secure, comfortable connections outside the classroom.  That's why social and professional networking in our disciplines are so important to us and why we will devalue the classroom.  When students feel alone, when they feel a strangerness, when they feel a loneliness, they feel lost, abandoned, scared, and downright unhappy.  They find, too, find joyful outlets outside the classroom.  They will do quirky things; they will abandon self-discipline, self-control, self-respect, self-esteem, self-confidence.  Why do you think "thirsty Thursdays" at the local bars are so popular?  Why do you think being socially "single" is so fearful?  Why do you think the siren of sororities and fraternities, or playing team sports, or participating in a theater troupe or band at any cost is so powerful a lure, even if it means crashing on academic rocks?  



	It's not a matter of adapting to the new reality, but to the always reality, and abandoning the too often present and influential alternative reality.  Now, let me give you something else to think about, to think about slowly.  Just think what might have a chance of happening if while we want to raise the learning bar, they raise the loving bar.  Just think what might have a chance of happening if we broke down separating barriers, built bridges, and forged community in our classrooms and on our campuses.  Just think what might have a chance of happening if we took and lived my Teacher's Oath.  Students gather strength, confidence, self-esteem from those Segal called "charismatic" people, from those who are unconditionally in each student's corner, from those who are un-surrendering advocates for each student, from those who connect with students without any strings attached.   You think healthy connectedness and compassion are not the seeds for emotional, physical, and mental well being, for achievement, for success?  



	Doggone, it's not just the students.  It's each of us as well.  Have we forgotten?  We're people, too.  We all needed and still need such charismatic people in our lives.  We all have had such people in our lives.  We all need uplifting relationships and supportive connections, and encouraging community.  Not only do we need them, we need to be them for others.  Didn't you have someone in your life to whom you owe a deep appreciation for influencing you and having an impact personally and professionally?  I did.  Professionally, he was Dr. Birdsal Viault, a young history professor fresh out of Duke at Adelphi College.  He took me under his wing at a time I had a broken wing.  He set me on my course as a time I was adrift.  He convinced me I could soar at a time I felt grounded.  Personally, it was and continually is my Susie, and I'll leave that at that.  



	So, do you think students today are any different?  They are not!   Maybe we've become different, and indifferent.  Do you think students today have changed from the time we were students.  They haven't.  Maybe it's we who have changed.  Think students are lazier today than yesteryear?  No.  Maybe it's we who don't want to work unless threatened or rewarded.  Maybe it's we who are amnesiacs who have forgotten what it was like to be a student.  I say this:  students today, no less than students yesterday,  have to walk with the unconditional and persevering--uncondtional and persevering--nurturing believers and faithful, with the uplifters and energizers, with the dreamers and doers, with the encouragers and supporters, with the kindly and caring, with the smilers and the hopeful, with the inspirers and igniters, with the risk takers and fearless, with the committed and dedicated, and above all, with the lovers. 



Make it a good day



-Louis-





Louis Schmier                         		http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org       

Department of History                        http://www.therandomthoughts.com

Valdosta State University 

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