Leadership in Teaching

Jessica Bresler

Dr. Bump E328

4/3/07

"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."

-David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a hero as “a man distinguished by extraordinary valour and martial achievements, one who does brave or noble deeds and as an illustrious warrior.” Reflecting on this description, who would not want to be deemed a hero? Very few have looked down upon Superman for rescuing the innocent from the hands of thieves and tyrants. Likewise, most revere the brave actions of the Roman hero Hercules who defeated countless monsters, ensuring the safety of his fellow citizens. Although these figures are worthy of mention, a different type of hero exists who is less associated with such illustrious action; one who is more qualified as a hero due to an inherent, humble loyalty to brave or noble deeds, such as the peaceful Gandhi or servant Mother Teresa. Today, I look up to both Gandhi and Mother Teresa not only as prime examples of humble bravery, but as the greatest leaders and teachers of human compassion. These types of heroes exhibit a different form of leadership; they work towards rescuing the hearts and spirits of men. Although the thought of flying in as Wonder Woman to save the day is exhilarating, the form of leadership I most desire to exhibit is much simpler: to be a compassionate teacher.

Image 1:

Mother Teresa: a teacher of great compassion

http://www.rhifilms.com/data/properties/MotherTeresaName/MotherTeresaName_large.jpg

When I propose teaching as a goal of mine, questions seem to arise from everywhere. Not only does my mother constantly survey my “true” intentions of teaching, but a distant uncle advises that my career goals should be charted out on a regularly basis. My friends need to know if I will be moving to another city, or - heaven forbid - country, to teach. My old high school teachers and professors proudly smile as I reveal my desired profession; each secretly hopeful I follow their footsteps, slyly ushering me towards teaching their own subject of expertise. I know these inquiries probably stem from a general interest in my well-being, but it seems the need for specific goals is always hovering somewhere nearby. When strangers discover my desire to teach, they too will ask me, “What age kids do you want to teach?” They all - parents, professors, friends, and strangers alike - find it strange when I smile and answer honestly, “all of them.” All of these scenarios have been played out in my mind. I could teach inside or outside the country; I could teach multiple subjects; I could teach college level students or kindergarteners. What most people forget about my goal is that what I aspire to be is a compassionate teacher. There will always be material available to teach; one can learn from almost anything. Compassion is something a little harder to instill in others, but it can take form in any situation. Compassion can be present regardless of a student’s age, of the subject matter, or of the location. Like the advice Alice receives from the Cheshire cat, I am learning that “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”[1] I am only twenty years old myself, and I know that there are many different roads available to travel down in the field of teaching, each one promising a different leadership position.

Image 2:

The fork in the road is only figurative; all are possibilities to teach compassion.

http://individual.utoronto.ca/superstring/a-fork-in-the-road-by-theboutons-com.jpg

Roads can take you almost anywhere, but one of the most obvious paths I can see in my future leads to graduate school. I may end up studying myself into an esteemed English professor on some university campus. With years of learning under my belt and a doctorate degree on my wall, I would be leading many college students to a greater understanding of the importance in being able to “read and think” and “to communicate effectively.”[2] My passion for learning immediately tempts me towards teaching at an upper-level educational institution because instructing college students would require rigorous course work. More dense and complicated material would be discussed, and since I believe “fiction really enlarges our humanity,”[3] I could stretch the minds of my students to help them obtain a greater “understanding of people”[4] with whom they may have not been familiar. In a college setting, I would be required to have a wide range of knowledge about English and be held responsible for answering more in-depth questions by students. I would be challenged to keep up with modern modes of criticism and be expected to have a good understanding of new works of literature. I would be teaching deep and difficult concepts while at the same time continuing my own education. The leadership impact I would have as a university professor would bring me great fulfillment.

I mage 3:

Nikki Giovanni: an esteemed English professor at Virginia Tech

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070418/capt.a90541273d694031a4972d4542ab14ed.virginia_tech_poet_professor_vash113.jpg

Another road that a career in teaching could guide me down would take me out of the country. I am highly interested in Hispanic culture, and my interest may lead me to be an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher for underprivileged children in Latin America. In this case, I would be exhibiting a completely different form of leadership. The biggest accomplishment this sort of teaching job could bring about is the bridging of cultures. I could help to form “a habit of mind” that “lasts through life, of which attributes are, freedom, equitableness, calmness, moderation, and wisdom”[5] for children who may have otherwise never been exposed to these concepts so commonly taken for granted in American school systems. I am drawn to teach in Latin America because many of the countries in this region of the world are in great need of compassionate leaders. Still struggling to achieve a more ideal form of democracy, some countries in Latin America are dealing with dictatorships even today. Mirabeau Lamar says, a “cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy, and while guided and controlled by virtue, the noblest attribute of man.”[6] If no one takes leadership and goes to teach the rising generations in countries experiencing political turmoil, the pattern of inequitable treatment will never be interrupted. I would be part of an educational movement beginning in Latin America that will enable more children to not only graduate high school, but that will also push the new generation of leaders to obtain university diplomas. Teaching in Latin America would challenge me to expand culturally and to display a strong leadership that would have to override language barriers. The leadership impact I would have as an ESL teacher in Latin America would also bring me great fulfillment.

Image 4:

Teaching in Costa Rica

Author’s Own Photo

On the other hand, another possible road I could follow would keep me close to my hometown. I could be a high school English teacher in the suburbs of Texas and stay in close contact with my family and friends. I could show passive teenagers that “letters will call out their beings at more points, will make them live more.”[7] It can be hard to develop a love for literature and writing as a high school student, but dedicated English teachers during my junior and senior years opened new educational doors for me. Their actions and leadership proved to me that passion can have a reciprocal impact between teachers and students, giving me hope that my love for English could inspire those who would be otherwise disinterested. I could help teenagers understand that “the majority of men will always require humane letters; and so much the more, as they have the more and the greater results of science to relate to the need in man for conduct, and to the need in him for beauty.”[8] High school level teachers are some of the first to expose the ideas of “moral judgement” and “the sympathetic imagination”[9] in depth in English and Literature classes. The idea of teaching high school classes is attractive as well because they are usually smaller, and would make compassionate relationships much more feasible. The leadership impact I would have as a high school teacher of English would bring me great fulfillment as well.

Image 5:

A high school English teacher

http://www.painetworks.com/photos/hd/hd2502.JPG

The ways that teachers can express compassionate leadership are endless. Whether as a university professor, an ESL teacher in Latin America, or an English teacher in high school, I can still be a teacher of compassion. Great teachers come in many forms and are flexible in different educational situations. The type of teacher I aspire to become more like is one that is open to change, sober and righteous “with wisdom,”[10] much like my heroes Gandhi and Mother Teresa. According to Thomas Carlyle, the greatest contemporary heroes are learned writers, religious leaders, wise speakers, and well-educated teachers[11]. Agreeing with Carlyle, I also find the most heroic action of great teachers to be enlightenment concerning “the inward sphere of things;” a selfless devotion to teaching not strictly lecture material and notes, but also of stressing a sense of “the True, Divine and Eternal.”[12] Superman and Hercules may save lives, but I am called to rescue hearts and minds through teaching. I want to have the same impact on students that past teachers have had on me; I want to inspire a sense of caring as well as broaden minds with exposure to new subject material. No matter what form my teaching career may take, I hope to fulfill my duties educationally, but always with great compassion. I find great comfort in Carlyle’s words that a “Man-of-Letters Hero must be regarded as our most important modern person. He, such as he may be, is the soul of all. What he teaches, the whole world will do and make.”[13] I only hope that as a teacher of English - of letters, words, paragraphs, stories, scripts, poetry, imagery, themes, feelings, humanity, and morals - that I can live up to the responsibility that Carlyle places on those who educate: to teach in a manner that will have a positive impact on the whole world.

Image 6:

A teacher’s thank-you card

http://www.jeichman.addr.com/holiday/birthday/Teacher.jpg

Movie premiere for Chalk: “real teaching leaves a mark”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpmc_NBLbNM

Word Count in DB: 2234

Word Count with quotes: 1377

Word Count without quotes: 1204

Word Count after subtraction: 1094

Final Word Count without quotes: 1499

Added words: 405

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[1] Lewis Carroll, The Annotated Alice. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1990. p?

[2] English Mission Statement. Bump Course Packet. 228.

[3] Betty Sue Flowers. Bump Course Packet 222.

[4] Betty Sue Flowers. Bump Course Packet 222.

[5] John Henry Newman. The Idea of a University. Bump Course Packet. 184.

[6] Mirabeau B. Lamar. Quotations. Bump Course Packet. 203.

[7] Matthew Arnold. Literature and Science. Bump Course Packet. 219.

[8] Matthew Arnold. Literature and Science. Bump Course Packet. 219.

[9] W. J. Bate. The Sympathetic Imagination. Bump Course Packet. 221.

[10] Matthew Arnold. Literature and Science. Bump Course Packet. 215.

[11] Thomas Carlyle. On Heroes and Hero-worship. NY Doobledog, 1963. Bump Course Packet. 269

[12] Thomas Carlyle. On Heroes and Hero-worship. NY Doobledog, 1963. Bump Course Packet. 269.

[13] Thomas Carlyle. On Heroes and Hero-worship. NY Doobledog, 1963. Bump Course Packet. 269.