Fear In The Classroom

I hear students and faculty agree that the current educational system is flawed. Yet we cling to the very methods we condemn. How come? Fear. Students fear attempting anything that may lower their grade point average or that will differentiate them from their peers. Faculty fear losing control of the classroom or of looking incompetent if a teaching experiment flops. I am sure each of us can name other fears that prevent us from exploring new options. To counter our fears we need to foster an attitude of experimentation. Learning involves an ongoing journey from the known into the unknown. It is not possible for us to know what experiments will succeed until we try them. It takes courage to live within the unknown. Here is where peer support can help. Our courage is bolstered when we can share our hopes and fears with others who understand what we are feeling. We are encouraged when we know that there are others who believe in what we are doing and who share our goals and experiences. When we struggle alone, doubt stalks us. We question our competency. It is helpful to hear from others who share our struggles. The support of others renews our confidence. We again have the courage to make a difference until the next cycle of fear overtakes us. Fear will continue to visit us as we venture beyond our known limits. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”