throughout the past eight years, i've taught several classes, hundreds of students. i probably wouldn't recognize some of those students if i passed them on the street, but some have made definite impressions on me. i've enjoyed talking to students about, not just course materials, but their life plans and hopes for their futures. i particularly appreciate my interactions with mexican american young women. i know how few chicana professors there are in academia, and am glad to be able to "role model" and mentor when those opportunities present themselves.
this past week, one of my students came to my office hours and reprimanded me for not taking a strong political stance on a particular issue that came up in class. she said something like, "as a chicana professor, students look up to you," and that i should be educating them about these particular political issues.
over the past few days, i've gone through feeling guilt for not measuring up to this student's expectations. did i make a major political misstep? have i alienated my students? i then began to feel indignant that this young woman would would tell me what my responsibilities are "as a chicana professor." i've thought about things that i could have said to her, ways that i could have perhaps better defended myself. but honestly, i'll probably never be able to make her understand where i've been and what it's actually like to be a chicana professor (one of four on campus). i am still annoyed at her self-righteousness.
today another mexican american young woman came into my office hours. she and i had a nice conversation about the novel that we are reading in class, her hopes for graduate school, some worries that she has about her family, and her dreams of traveling around the world with her husband. it was a nice moment.
i know that i'm not a perfect professor, but that moment reminded me what i love about teaching--those very simple connections with students in our conversations about books and culture and life. those connections make everything else--the research and writing, the university politics--worthwhile.
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3 comments:
Well, you know my classes and yours have always been very different, but I've always felt that it's important to cultivate an atmosphere where all the students feel that their opinions and stances will be respected. If you were to take such a strong position, wouldn't that be alienating to some students? Also, students need to take some responsibility for educating themselves. I remember reading somewhere once about students who complained, well, I was never taught this or that; well, you have a responsibility to yourself to learn the things that are important to you (was that from a bell hooks article?).
If I were in your position I know there would be one mouthy student getting a crappy grade on her final... but then again, that's why nobody would/should ever make me a professor.
Even if you are trying to lead students to a particular political position, really masterful professors do it so that the student will believe that it is his or her own idea.
You are not a politician, it's not your job to give stump speeches.
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