A Closer Look at the Life of an Academician

Recently, a student of mine who had already graduated from college visited me in my office. With exuberance, she told me that she finally decided to become a teacher. She then informed me of her plan to go for advanced graduate studies in Philosophy and she requested me to describe to her my life as an academician so she will know in advance what to expect in this chosen path. I must admit that I felt flattered knowing that this particular student wanted to become a teacher—a career that cannot make her materially wealthy. What flattered me more was her revelation that she intended to pursue masteral studies in Philosophy—a course that will bring her slightest financial remuneration!

I calmly explained to her that teaching is not just a career—it is a vocation, a higher calling that demands commitment, patience, and sacrifice. Teaching may not be financially rewarding, but there are beautiful non-monetary remunerations that go along with it. A teacher masterfully creates intellectual, spiritual, and emotional bonds with her students, past and present, that goes on and on until eternity. The teacher’s heart feels warm elation whenever he listens to a well-presented oral exam from a student who burns her midnight candle. A teacher’s spirit suddenly leaps with delight when a former student, whom he accidentally meets in a mall, narrates to him how the latter still remembers Kierkegaard’s “leap of faith”, Descartes’ “Cogito”, or Kant’s “categorical imperative”. These precious experiences cannot be exchanged with any amount of money that this world can offer.

Teaching and the Dynamic Flow of Life

Going back to the story of my former student who wanted to become a philosophy teacher: I did not discourage her from pursuing such a noble aspiration. I continued our conversation by sharing to her my life as an academician and giving her useful tips that I thought will be beneficial in her future life as a mentor. I see in her enthusiasm the longing and aspiration to become a dedicated academician one day. I would like to share in this essay my reflections on the life of an academician which I recently shared with my former student…

The succession of semesters give opportunity for teachers to color their life with utmost flexibility and excitement in the midst of structured living—one could not find such a privilege in most occupations. The life of an academician is fairly predictable; however, it cannot be said that such a life is boring. Teaching is one of those few professions where a person is being paid for what she really likes to do. Life in the academe calls for innovativeness in the midst of structured schedules. Every semester affords an opportunity for self-reflection, self-criticism, and self-appraisal. Questions like: “How am I going to teach this difficult topic creatively?”, “How am I going to correct my pedagogical blunders last semester?”, How will I sustain the zest of the students in this mind-boggling topic?”—these questions enlarge our educational insights and allow our subject to become more relevant to the life of our students. More importantly, they give us an opportunity to commit ourselves and our whole being to be available and open to our students. Teaching gives us spiritual growth and emotive sensitivity; thereby softening our spirit to the needs of others.

For an academician, the end of a semester or an academic year brings a sense of fulfillment and wholeness to his existence—this can be felt when with bittersweet emotion, a mentor bids farewell to the graduates. On one hand, he feels joyful that these students were able to hurdle all the difficulties of the academic life, on the other hand, a part of him has to let go of them upon their parting. Every new semester likewise provides a fresh start, a different inventiveness, a renewed daring, a novel resolve to do better, and a creative occasion to correct past mistakes.

“Cura Personalis”: The Neglected Aspect of the Teaching Process

Let me start-off my reflection of this specific part of my essay by quoting from the British Anglican lay theologian, Rosemary Haughton’s book entitled, “Love and Expert Care”. Ms. Haughton gave this poignant observation with regards to the teaching process: “For an effective impartation of knowledge, I know of no other pedagogy except love and expert care… If you really love them, you would want to do something creative for your students; you would want the best absorption of the lessons to be instilled in the heart of your students… Perhaps the most disastrous thing that our detached and ‘unfeeling’ culture did to the teaching process is to separate expert loving care from our teaching pedagogy. Pedagogy is impossible without loving cultivation and expert care.” (From Rosemary Haughton’s book, Love and Expert Care. New York: Anglican Educators Forum, 1969; pp.189-190).

Based on my own experiences in my many years of teaching, I can fully concur with the abovementioned observation of Ms. Haughton. To begin with, a teacher’s life is largely devoted to activities related to the impartation of knowledge. This is the sphere of life which is referred to as “teaching”. This sphere of the academician’s life involves not only classroom teaching and classroom management. It likewise involves what the European medieval teachers called “cura personalis” (personal care). “Cura personalis” means dedicated personal care or guidance on the part of the teacher for the holistic growth of his student’s life. “Cura personalis” is a very crucial function in our life as teachers since this involves the relationship between our students and us. A teacher needs to consider the question that is central to the administering of “cura personalis”: “How am I going to relate with my student that will be facilitative of his/her learning process?” It cannot be denied that relationship with our students can affect their learning inside the classroom. The medieval masters see their students as unique individuals and therefore they relate with their students based on their individual uniqueness and intellectual capacity. The consultation period is the opportune time when the teacher can manifest his personal guidance to his individual students. It is during this time when students may open-up themselves to the teacher regarding problems that the former experience that may affect their academic performance. Oftentimes, it is during the consultation period where a teacher finally understands with empathic compassion his student. It is also during this time that the teacher can guide the students to learn both classroom lessons and lessons in real life.

Teaching and Empathy: Pathways towards Humaneness

A real mentor feels responsible for all his students; although the students may not realize it; the teacher can empathize with the struggles and difficulties of his students since he too was a student like them before becoming a teacher. Although the teacher may look aloof and strict—these too may have pedagogic purpose if it is taken with the intention towards the holistic development of the student. Even such calculated strictness on the part of the teacher must be understood as a kind of pruning so that the mental cultivation of the student may produce abundant fruits in due time. It can also be seen as a way of making the student realize that he needs to stand on his own two feet, to find his own self, and to listen to his own voice—and not just to rely solely on the perspectives of her teacher. A real mentor’s pedagogic intention in all his dealings with his student must be towards the latter’s integral and holistic maturity.

While there may not be much monetary privileges that a teacher may accrue from all his sacrifices, yet there are myriads of inestimable returns-of-investment that he will receive throughout his lifetime, for example; an unexpected Valentine card from a former student of past years, an invitation to a former student’s wedding, a chance encounter of a former student who later became a priest due to an insight in his past existentialism class. These and many examples show that pure altruistic concern will always beget genuine affection—although such signs of affections are not demanded nor longed for. For a true teacher, his reward comes from the unfathomable feeling of satisfaction that he experiences upon realizing that even in small ways, and despite his inconsequential self, the teacher was able to color his own world and that of others with meaning and significance. Herein lies the joy of the academician.

As we ended our conversation, I saw brilliance and deep steadfastness in the eyes of my former student. She thanked me and told me that our talk made her more determined to tread the selfless yet enriching life of teaching. With a firm clasp, she held my hands at the same time telling me that she was grateful for our meeting. As I saw her off to the corridor, I whispered a prayer that God will continue to bless her resolution. With nostalgia, I then remembered myself—when twenty three years ago—I too, made up my mind to become a teacher. Tears of joy welled up my eyes as I went back to my office to prepare for my next class. I have no regrets, those were the only words that I kept repeating under my breath.