Phillip A. Bishop,
Exercise Physiology,
University of Alabama

[Jan 23, 2011] —
Ever walk away from teaching a class feeling frustrated?

On the walk from my office to our Christian Faculty meeting this week, I was thinking about one of the undergraduate classes I teach. It is math-oriented and required for kinesiology majors, some of whom may have entered this field because of an aversion to math.

To make matters much worse, it meets at 0800 in the basement of our building, which must have been designed to resemble a dungeon. If someone asked me to create a recipe for disaster, I couldn’t do much better.

Who Knows?

In class this morning I held aloft a simple homemade device for measuring two-point touch sensitivity. I asked, “Who knows what this is?”

Silence.

“Who knows what this is?”

More silence.

Finally, Marty says, “It’s a two-point touch measurement device.”

“Bless you Marty, that deserves a bonus. But how did you know that?”

“I read it in the book.”

Marty appeared to be one of only two or three in this class of 28 students who had actually done the assigned reading. They aren’t lacking for pedagogical input. I modestly consider the textbook a fairly good one, even though I am the author.

A few are on some type of scholarship, but most are paying tuition for their education. The classroom is equipped with a computer, screen, PowerPoint, and a sound system, all paid for by their tuition and the Great State of Alabama.
They have an animated teacher who has:
• worn different sorts of hats to class;
• given out pencils for correct answers,
• given out candy for Halloween;
• invited them to my house for free pizza;
• spent considerable time discussing the Bowl Championship Series computations only because it is an example of some principles of the class.

In summary, I have sacrificed so much (e.g. dignity) for apparently so little return on investment.
But then it hit me.

If I allowed myself to be so frustrated with my students, how must God feel about me?

Not On Performance

God has done so much for me. And yet, I don’t read the Book much. I don’t do the homework. I don’t seem too quick about learning my lessons.

Fortunately God is merciful. His loving kindness is new every morning, and it is not even based on performance.

Whether we like it or not as profs, we are people of influence. We influence some folks for good, and some folks for not so good. I am able to reflect God – His patience, His love, even if I do so imperfectly, and at times inconsistently. If God doesn’t get frustrated with me, neither should I with my students.

So someone, please remind me of that again next week, and the week after, and…

© 2011 Phillip A. Bishop