Guru

I begin each of my classes with an open discussion. The purpose of the dialogue is to acclimate my students to the topic to be discussed in the context of my lecture, to inspire critical thinking, and to buy myself a few extra moments to finish up my coffee. In general, the discussions achieve all of these objectives. Numerous students have commented that they enjoy this aspect of the class. They appreciate that I have confidence in their abilities to read and do not spend the entire class period reciting the text. They enjoy sharing their ideas and hearing those of others.

A few weeks back I provided my students with brief synopses of the lives of Paul Bryant (former head football coach of the University of Alabama), Jack LaLanne (fitness guru) and Winston Churchill (former Prime Minister of England). Each of these men had many successes in his life, especially in his later years. I asked my students to think about the men's lives and to tell me why they thought that these men, in particular, were able to accomplish so much in their later years. I also asked what my students could do to stay as productive in the later parts of their own lives. Finally, I asked why some people are productive later in life while others seem to just be waiting for death to approach.

As usual, my students had many insightful opinions and shared their own stories as examples to support their thoughts. One of my students described his grandmother who lived to be 106. Per his report, she started every day off with a shot of whiskey before tending to her garden. Another student, whom works in a nursing facility, described a woman on her unit who would not do anything for herself until her roommate fell ill. Once her roommate was unable to take care of herself, the first woman began to tend to her needs and started to display less symptoms herself in the process.

After listening to numerous stories, my class came to their conclusion: They felt that the men listed above and the women described in the stories shared in class lived extended productive lives because they had purpose. It is my students' belief that one must exercise his or her body and mind to stay active in this world. They further assert that one must care and feel passionate about someone or something....

Based off of this interaction and others, I think my students are pretty intelligent. They must have a damn good teacher....I would even venture to guess that she seems to have found purpose in her vocation and may even be passionate about teaching.... :)