On the burden that teachers carry and the responsibility of students

On the burden that teachers carry and the responsibility of students

Teachers, especially those who take it very seriously, are pressured to be role models. I have read my students grapple with “impostor syndrome” – and I think that teachers grapple with this so much more. We are always trying to convince ourselves that we deserve our platforms and that it is worth hearing us out.

However, we are never perfect. Worst, we can turn out to be hypocrites. Hopefully, we catch ourselves first so we can be better. So that we can trust ourselves and earn the trust of our students and peers.

Within this context I have shared, I think that the responsibility of students is not to put teachers on pedestals and expect teachers to be perfect role models. The responsibility of students is to co-create insights with teachers that are worth acting on. If some of the words we say (hopefully not all!) turn out to be bullshit, then students can respectfully call us out or at least have the guts to take charge of one’s own learning.

In good faith, when both teachers and students embrace vulnerability and commitment to be better, learning becomes co-created and authentic. We learn from each other.

—
Matthew 23:1-12. The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 2023-238: AUGUST 26, 2023]