At my college there is a professor. This professor, while I'll admit not a very successful teacher, pulls my heart strings. I have this deep fear that I could be in their shoes when I try to pursue a career in philosophy, of not portraying confidence in the material I'm in charge of teaching. I fear that the word 'um' will take up a great deal of my lectures. For these fears, I have a lot of respect for this professor where my colleagues do not. "I don't like that professor" a lot of them say, and follow up by admitting that if nothing, this professor is at least nice. I don't want to be known as the 'nice' professor. I have fear enough to not want to become this professor that I respect them that much more. So, I ask, is empathy the right word? Is pity the word I am looking for? I don't know, but it's moved me in a way that is opposite of what I thought would be the reaction to having a teacher of this un-confident demeanor.
Perhaps I see in this professor a source of inspiration, ambition, to be the successful teacher, who may be a jerk, but is too smart to be hated.
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1 comment:
Empathy is the right word, pity implies you feel superior.
I would say you take him as a challenge. When you see someone who fails to impress while teaching philosophy it does two things. It makes you worry that you will make the same mistake, but it also emboldens you to be even better.
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