When I was in my last year of college, my parents and in-laws tried to convince me to become a teacher. I refused. I wanted to go to graduate school in anthropology, thinking that would lead me to a more adventurous career. How foolish I was. I did not think about the great teachers I had learned from. Rather, I succumbed to stereotypical thinking about a profession that’s always on the cutting edge, one that is always exploring the new frontier!
Eventually I did become a teacher, and I have never felt more fulfilled. I have learned that there is no greater adventure than the one that takes place in a classroom. Working with students is a way of exploring new worlds. The mountains we climb together far out-scale any known geographic heights. Engaging the human mind, opening up new avenues of discovery, sharing the road of learning are among the greatest undertakings human beings can be exposed to. After almost 50 years, I cannot imagine a more exciting life. I feel privileged to have experienced so many years of teaching and learning, and am somewhat ashamed of my initial reluctance.
The exchange of ideas is, of course, stimulating, and we have wonderful sayings in Hebrew about the wisdom learned from teachers and students. But I think the greatest adventure is not about accumulating knowledge as data. Rather, it is about learning how to think – excitement comes from challenging habits of the mind. When we embrace new modes of judgment and discernment, whole worlds open up. It’s as if we are on a space shuttle of discovery.
But it is very hard to convince some people of these basics. Today, I feel that we are on a chartered course to demolish our educational structures. People in power talk about class size and pupil-teacher ratios as though we are on a factory line selling a product, not dealing with the human mind. According to some recent studies in Canada, in some university classrooms there are over 1,000 students and the full-time faculty size is being reduced. That is unconscionable.
Students need time with their teachers and professors. They need one-on-one time to discuss and discover. They should not be squished into a classroom. This thing called education is not about facts and figures. It’s not about stuffing someone’s head like stuffing a turkey. Education is much more subtle. It is about opening up a window so that a nuanced view can be established. It is enabling a dialogue so that multiple voices can be heard. It is about translating the present into future possibilities. You cannot do that without small discussion groups and seminars. You cannot possibly call it an education without full-time faculty spending quality time with students.
Treating our schools, especially our universities, as factories is selling our future short. It is not a path toward excellence, as some of the rhetoric of administrators would have us believe. It makes a difference if there are 1,000 or 20 students in a class. It makes a difference if the students talk with a professor or a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants and aides or interns are very important in course structures. They are means by which we train future professionals and they help manage larger classes. But they cannot and should not replace the full-time teacher or professor. Students should be encouraged to spend time with and discuss issues with their profs. That’s what an education inaugurates.
We have had a great record of social benefits and networks building a strong educational system. Now much of that is in danger because of budget cuts and narrow-minded thinking. It is time for the people to voice our concerns so that our children won’t suffer the consequences.
Education is a wonderful adventure, perhaps the greatest adventure we can afford. Open up the world with the right tools and structures. Let’s give our children small classrooms and great professors.