Frederick Buechner referred to a calling as “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” In this sense, I have felt called to college teaching, particularly in Psychology and at a community college. For all that this has meant, I feel profoundly thankful.
Parker Palmer’s book “The Courage to Teach” probably has influenced by philosophy of teaching more than anything else. Perhaps what most has influenced me in Palmer’s thinking is his understanding of “subject-centered education,” at the center of which belongs, what he calls, “great things.” By this, Palmer means “the subjects around which the circle of seekers has always gathered – not the disciplines that study these subjects, not the texts that talk about them, not the theories that explain them, but the things themselves.” He believes, as I do, that putting these subjects, as much as possible, into the center of a class holds the key to making all other learning outcomes more possible. When there is a focus on “great things,” there is a natural urge to ask and discuss meaningful questions. Critical thinking becomes necessary and valuable, as we seek to understand. In this context, knowledge of what is known in a discipline becomes particularly welcome. Application becomes especially desirable.
When I think of my overall subject area, Psychology, the “great things” that I most want to feature in my courses tend to concern human beings, their behavior, and its’ causes. There are a variety of ways in which I have attempted to center courses around these subjects. Specifically, I often rely on teaching strategies that feature cases and their behavior, leading me to incorporate experiential activities, demonstrations, stories, interview projects, panel discussions, case analyses, and service learning into my courses. Because of my interest in social issues and justice, many of these cases are selected because they are vulnerable to suffering or prejudice. In this, I am guided by the thinking of Nicholas Wolsterstorff, who believes that “the purpose of colleges and universities is to present students with the face of suffering, and then convey that they can do something about it.” Controversies, “big” questions, and even research studies similarly can be used to bring attention to “great things,” particularly when they relate to students’ interests. Finally, there are times when it seems much more powerful to witness behavior and its history on site. This has led me to feature study abroad opportunities and field trips in my work in recent years.
In all of this, I hope to fulfill the dream of William Butler Yeats when he suggests that “education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.”
It is a common source of joking and teasing in my relationships with collaborators and family that I am paid for this work. More than anything else, it has been a joy and privilege.