I was intrigued by this week's discussion about letting your personality come through in class. That's usually not a problem for most of us, but to what extent?
A few years ago I was in an advanced film class and was telling students a story about an interview I did with a woman in Sierra Leone. It was one of the most difficult interviews I've ever conducted. I won't go into graphic detail here but I'll give you the gist of what made it hard:
OK, that's enough. We were talking in class about the interview process and that's why this story was under way. I had absolutely no intention of getting emotional about the story ... but I did. I didn't get all weepy, but my voice cracked, I had to wipe my eyes.
I was really embarrassed, thinking I had made a real mistake, compromised my professionalism and lost the respect of my students.
To my great surprise, just the opposite happened. My relationship with that group of majors went to a place I hadn't seen before. I was still embarrased for some time after, but now that I've had time to reflect on that experience I've come to realize that letting our emotions out now and then isn't a sign of weakness, but a sign of trust. We trust those in the room to a point where we can be vulnerable with them. And in this case, that trust (though unintentional!) was rewarded greatly.
Most of us have had a teacher or two through the years who exercised this openness perhaps a bit too much, and that's not good either. But done with honesty, integrity and restraint, I think it can be a great thing for the classroom.
A few years ago I was in an advanced film class and was telling students a story about an interview I did with a woman in Sierra Leone. It was one of the most difficult interviews I've ever conducted. I won't go into graphic detail here but I'll give you the gist of what made it hard:
- She was a sex slave for some years.
- She was buried alive.
- While tied to a tree, she was forced to hold her aunt's severed head on her lap.
- Emotional abuse.
- By the time of this interview, she was emerging from a deep, psychological "fog" and beginning to experience a degree of "normal" life again after many years.
OK, that's enough. We were talking in class about the interview process and that's why this story was under way. I had absolutely no intention of getting emotional about the story ... but I did. I didn't get all weepy, but my voice cracked, I had to wipe my eyes.
I was really embarrassed, thinking I had made a real mistake, compromised my professionalism and lost the respect of my students.
To my great surprise, just the opposite happened. My relationship with that group of majors went to a place I hadn't seen before. I was still embarrased for some time after, but now that I've had time to reflect on that experience I've come to realize that letting our emotions out now and then isn't a sign of weakness, but a sign of trust. We trust those in the room to a point where we can be vulnerable with them. And in this case, that trust (though unintentional!) was rewarded greatly.
Most of us have had a teacher or two through the years who exercised this openness perhaps a bit too much, and that's not good either. But done with honesty, integrity and restraint, I think it can be a great thing for the classroom.
I love this story, Mark. Thanks for sharing it here too...as well as with your students. I totally agree that opening up and providing a little more self-disclosure can be a real benefit for connecting with students--whether teaching online or f2f!
ReplyDeleteWell said my friend.
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