And I thought I'd only learn inside the class room!

Late last Friday afternoon, an obviously concerned club adviser approached me and in a vague, non-committal way communicated that their club has been directly affected by seemingly unrelated issues in their department. Now, I always want to attack an issue head-on and try to find out all the information I can in hopes of efficiently reaching a solution, so thank goodness my supervisor was there to rein me in. I don’t really know the first thing about recognizing, let alone handling situations in which my reaction to seemingly unrelated political agendas could land me, or my superiors, in hot water. I come from a food service background, so I do know a bit about jockeying for the Friday night serving or bar tending shift, but this stuff was way over my head.Taking my boss's lead, I soon found that the most I could say was, “as a student I don’t have the experience necessary to handle such a situation.” It all felt wrong to me though; I hate marginalizing what I feel and being unable help my fellow students. I still feel I should be able to bring something positive to the situation. Hey, maybe I could go to some other teachers and get their take on the matter. Maybe I should approach the leads of the department and tactfully inquire about the history of the teacher and the club in question, like how long they’ve been involved together or how much experience the teacher has with student groups. I know! I’ll ask the Dean of Transfer Education if there has been any new hires or teachers in the department moving from part time to full time…or…crap, I’ve been sucked in!

I guess the lesson is “mind my own business and do the best I can.” Maybe this is sort of an end to the innocence I’ve enjoyed regarding our educational system. I want to think that the educator's main focus is always the student's well-being. I also may be displaying my naivety by believing that working toward the student's best interest won’t step on anyone's toes. I still feel a bit of frustration though; no matter how I react in this situation I will be contributing to the issue and my actions will still be a reflection of my department and superiors. In the end though, my job has nothing to do with the professional issues of any academic department, and I won't really be involved unless the club or department violates guidelines I have been asked to uphold. And even though I do plan on becoming a teacher one day, I’m not one yet.For now, I get to sit back and learn from this situation, and see what I do and don’t agree with. I can just put this experience in my mental vault for when I do have to deal with personal agendas and defend the student’s best interests. All I need worry about now is the our next event and how I can help my friends and fellow students have a great college experience. I guess I’m being shown that the most meaningful learning experiences sometimes happen outside the class room. I've heard that a lot this past year, but I'm kind of having an epiphany as I recognize the truth of this statement. Action certainly is an integral part of education.

Comments

[kim-free ads posting]

I definitely agree that the most learning experiences happens outside the classroom.And you're also right that sometimes, its good to set aside this issues and mind your own.I was enlightened by your article.

[Twin XL]

I love the last line! Action is an integral part of education. Fantastic and well written.

[Brandon Devlin]

Thanks Twin XL, I am glad you enjoyed it :)