tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378453275872637320.post6715395572991978888..comments2023-03-30T04:08:45.468-04:00Comments on These Things Too: I knew I was done when....Stan Denskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202688980275241342noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378453275872637320.post-35330557189360097762011-04-25T11:35:29.765-04:002011-04-25T11:35:29.765-04:00Hmmm.... I did have that moment when I was a visit...Hmmm.... I did have that moment when I was a visiting scholar for a semester and teaching doctoral students where I recognized many of my students as smarter than me. Especially those who were reading the texts I'd assigned in their original French and German and pointing out problems with translations. And I had the same moment a couple of times with undergraduate students in independent study. There was never any "ego castration" involved however because, by that time I was a student of Freire and Giroux and recognized that as a wonderful moment, not a threatening one.<br /><br />The moment I blogged about would not count as a moment of realization that my students were smarter, unless there really is a secret cabal of celebrity rapists controlling things from, behind the scenes. No, it was more a realization that my students had problems that I was never going to have any effect upon whatsoever and that I was wasting my time.<br /><br />More like that.Stan Denskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15202688980275241342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6378453275872637320.post-41489098205868215202011-04-25T10:59:20.252-04:002011-04-25T10:59:20.252-04:00Great post, Stan. Your moment of truth is quite co...Great post, Stan. Your moment of truth is quite common, actually. When a college instructor realizes for the first time that his students are smarter than he is, typically he goes through four stages of academic ego castration: denial, confusion, resignation, tenure. The fact that you're "still working it out" suggests you got yourself stuck in first or second gear. While your decision to retire from teaching might prohibit you from ever reaching stage four, know that third gear can get you most places you need to go: doctor's office, bank, grocery store, etc, no problem. Keep writing. It's the best form of therapy.Jim Duffynoreply@blogger.com