I've slowly come to realize that I really like the other philosophers at BNCC... not that I disliked them before -- but, I've recently come to appreciate them even more than I have in the past. I think I can learn from each of them...
Wise Woman -- She really is wise. She's also very tactful, sensitive and considerate of others. I like that she takes time to really think about situations and decide what is fair. I also like the way in which she expresses her displeasure and the way she resolves situations she finds to be problematic. I could learn a lot from the way Wise Woman relates to her colleagues.
New Guy -- [who really isn't all that new, but he was the first full-time male philosopher at BNCC in recent memory (yes, that makes BNCC really odd, philosophy is VERY male)]. New Guy is excellent with his students. Students feel that he is really working hard to make philosophy understandable to them. He doesn't compromise his standards and he doesn't get discouraged when our students are clearly unprepared to do college level work, he just uses a lot of love and compassion when he tells them that they are making serious mistakes. I could be a lot more like New Guy in my relationships with students.
Dog Dad -- He's the most recent of our full-time hires. He has a sense of enthusiasm that is remarkable. He dives into things, asks questions and is genuinely interested in the whole world around him. He is quite kind and forgiving, always seeking the best in both people and situations. I would like to be more optimistic and enthusiastic like Dog Dad.
Dr. Religion is our long-term adjunct -- She's a very hard worker. She doesn't shy away from assigning lots of writing to huge classes, nor does she shy away from teaching sections of 50 students on-line. The amount of grading she does in a semester would swamp me and make me quite cranky, but she just buckles down and does it. She doesn't complain or whine, she just does it. She also contributes to the work of running the department, although that is not something we expect her to do. I could work much harder and with much less complaining and I still wouldn't come close to being her...
really, y'all would be very lucky to be me and to work with these people...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Sounds like you have some good colleagues :) And it's important to recognize their good qualities. We probably don't do that enough in general, or in academics specifically.
Post a Comment