Teaching-as-mountaineering

TeachingasmountaineeringJustrecentlyacommitteemeetingattheUniversityofColorawasinterruptedbythespectacleofayoungmanscalingthewallofthelibraryjustoutsidethewindow.Discussionofnewinterdisciplinarycourseshaltedaswesilentlyhopedhehaddisciplineenoughtoreturnsafelytotheearth.HopewasallwecouldofferfromourvantagepointinKetchumHall,theimpulsetorushoutandcatchhimbeing3checkedbytherealizationoffutility.Theincidentreinforcedmysensethatmountaineeringservesasanaptanalogyfortheartofteaching.Theexcitement,therisk,theneedforrigorousdisciplineallcorrespond,thoughtheimageIhaveinmindisnotthatofthesolitaryadventurerrappellingoffawall,butthatofaSwissguideleadinganexpedition.IrememberamountaineernamedFritzwhoonceledagroupuptheJungfrauatthesametimeapartywasclimbingthenorthfaceoftheEiger.Myownmountaineeringskillwasslender,andmyenthusiasmwouldhavefalteredhadInotfeltFritzwascapableofhaulingnotonlymebutalltherestofusoffthatmountain.Strong,self-assured,calm,heradiatedthatsolidauthoritythatencouragedmetotieontohisrope.ButIsoonrealizedthatmypresenceonhislineconstitutedariskforFritz.HadIbeenso8foolhardyastotrytoretrievemyglovewhichwenttumblingoffaprecipice,orhadIslippedintooneofthose9inexplicablyopeningcrevasses,ImightwellhavepulledthenobleFritzdownwithme.Itwasasoberingrealization.I,thenovice,andhe,theexpert,wereconnectedbythesamelifelineinanexperienceofmutualinterdependence.Togivemethattopoftheworld10exaltationhe,too,wastakingarisk.Theanalogytoteachingseemstomeapt,andnotjustforprofessorswhohap­pentoliveinColorado,fortheanalogyimpliesanactiveacceptanceofresponsibilityforone’sownfate,whereasmostotheranalogiestoteachingsuggest11passivity.Whatisneededtorestoreteachers’confidencethattheprofessionissignificantisanewanalogy,anewmetaphor(IshyawayfromthePRword,“image”)thatconveysmoreoftheessenceofteachingthantheworn-outanalogieswehaveknown.Mostpreviousanalogiesareseriouslyinadequate,forwhiletheymaydescribeapartoftheteachingactivity,theyalsosuggestpatternsthatarenotfullyapplicabletoteaching.Itisnotasimplematter,forthosefaultyanalogiescreatemisunderstandingsabouttheprofessor’srole,notonlyinthe12laypublic,butintheprofessoriateitself.Thesewronganalogieshavecontributedtogrowing13demoralizationwithintheprofession,andhaveconfusedthedifficultissueofproperevaluation.Themostcommonanalogiestotheteacherarethepreacher,theshepherd,thecurator,theactor,theresearcher,and,14mostinsidiously,thesalesman.Nonecapturesthespecialrelationshipbetweenteacherandstudents,arelationshipbetterdescribedbySocratesasacomingtogetheroffriends.Ratherthanemphasizingthemutualityoftheendeavor,eachofthesecommonanalogies15turnsonaseparationbetweentheprofessionalandhisclients.Eachleadstoacertainkindofevaluation.Thepreacherexhorts,cajoles,pleadswithacongregationoftenso16benightedastoexistinastateof17somnolence.Hemeasureshissuccessbythenumberofsoulssostirredaseithertocommitthemselvestohiscause,or18vehementlytorejectit.Somewhatlikethepreacheristheshepherdwhogathersandwatchesoveraflockclearlyinferiortohimself.TheanalogymaybeaptfortheLordandhis19sub-angelicfollowers,butitwillnotdoforteacherandstudents,or,especially,forSocratesandhisfriends.TheShepherdislikelytobeevaluatedbythegulfseparatinghiswisdomfromthatofhisflock.Ifthepoorcountrycuratehasoften20furnishedananalogytothebleatingprofessor,sohasthecuratorofamuseum.21Lipspursedsoastodistillapureessenceofhauteur,thecuratorasconnoisseurpointsouttheraritiesofclassicalculturestotheuninitiatedwhocanscarcelybeexpectedtoappreciatethesefinerthings.Sincetheycannotunderstandhimanyway,thecuratorhasno22compunctionaboutsprinklinghispresentationwithLatinandGreekandwithEnglishso23esotericasto:soundforeign.Chancesarehighthattheprofessorasconnoisseurwillsucceedinconvincingmostoftheclassthatthesubjectisreallytheprovinceofasecretsocietywithitsown24arcanepracticesandlanguage,bestleftbehinditsowninaccessiblewalls.Indeed,colleaguesoftheconnoisseurmeasurehissuccessbythe25paucityofdevoteesallowedintothesocietythroughthis26winnowingprocess.Theteacherasactoralso27playstoapassiveaudience,buthemeasuressuccessbylargernumbers.Acertain28auraofthemagicianclingstohimasheluresspectatorsintowitnessinghisacademicsleight-of-handwithouttheireverreally29gettinginonthetrick.Acertain30tingeofthestand-upcomediancolorstheperformanceastheactorplaystotheaudience31toregisterlaughsbigenoughtodrownoutthelecturer32droningonnextdoor.Abastardizedversionoftheactoristhatfigurenowthoughtsoaptananalogyinourconsumer-conscioussociety:thesalesman.Hispredecessorsincludethesnake-oilmanandthedoor-to-doorpurveyorofanythingfrombrushestoBritannicas.Heorshetakestheproducttothepeople,wherevertheyare,and34tailorsthepitchtotheirpockets.Whilealloftheseanalogiescreateacertainlevelofdespairintheprofessoriateeitherstrugglingtopatternthemselvesinaparticularmodeorhopelesslyrealizingtheycanneverachieveit,thesalesmananalogyhasthemost35deleteriouseffects.Nolongeradheringeventoapreparedscript,thesalesmanshamelesslyaltershisorherpresentationsoitwilldrawthelargestnumberofcontentedconsumers.Theresearcherasteacherdiffersfromth