TRENT CONTENTS 

Editorial

Association President's Message

Making Waves: John Jennings and the Canadian Canoe Museum

Physics 100: Swinging from the rafters

Nancy Sherouse Tribute

Reunion Weekend Accommodation Directory

Wilson's Wit and Wisdom: Alumni Coaches

The Formal and Informal Classroom or, What Really Happens at Trent

Unique Contribution to Archaeology Earns Spirit of Trent Award

Campus Alumni Profile - Deborah Berrill

Beyond Our Walls Report

In Memoriam

Sunshine Sketches

The formal and informal classroom or
what really happens at Trent

by Thomas R. Klassen '78

The students in my classes are not quite getting the education they - or their parents - are paying for. Before my colleagues and students question my teaching abilities, let me be clear that I do teach sociology quite effectively. Many Trent alumni may agree that most students will learn more about how to lead rich and interesting lives, than they will about the formal curriculum.

Very few of my own students will follow my career as a sociologist, most will become high school teachers, lawyers, financial analysts, journalists, physiotherapists or hold jobs that do not yet exist. In these occupations they will not have to recall Max Weber's definition of bureaucracy, Emile Durkheim's theory of suicide, or Karl Marx's contradictions of capitalism. But, they will need to be systematic (whether in diagnosing a patient or buying stocks), talented in dealing with a range of colleagues, clients and stakeholders; willing to learn, if not return to school; be able to take risks; and generally clever in analyzing and responding to events.

These are the skills that students learn and take home at Trent while designing research projects, working on group assignments, observing me and their other professors, sharing their ideas and work in class, struggling over difficult problems, and visiting me to seek advice or discuss difficulties and successes. This type of learning often occurs without the conscious awareness of either student or teacher.

My beliefs about what really happens in the classroom are based, largely, on my own experience. I was fortunate to start my post secondary education in a small university where some classes were held in the offices of faculty. Many of my teachers were gifted in communicating their expertise, yet I must admit that little of that knowledge stayed with me after the end of each course.

What did remain with me, and was far more valuable, were the values and attitudes that my professors embodied. The fact that they enjoyed what they did lead me to view university as a fun place (and one I would ultimately seek to join permanently). Seeing my teachers work hard caused me to work hard as well since this seemed only fair. The ability to visit them outside formal office hours made me realize that learning and teaching is not restricted to 50 minute intervals. The willingness of my teachers to lend me their own books helped to reduce the social distance between pupil and teacher. Finally, their willingness to see beyond my stuttering handicap gave me the self-confidence to excel and follow my own interests.

Because teaching involves far more than judging the scholastic correctness of answers it is a professional fraught with ethical dilemmas. Two recent examples still reverberate in my thoughts. One of the youngest students - she was 18 - failed to submit an essay notwithstanding having an extension for the assignment. After some hesitation she told me that she was pregnant and had just weeks ago moved with her teenaged boyfriend to a basement apartment. She summarized her situation with "It's hard." She failed to produce an assignment by the next extension and I felt I had no choice but to fail her in the assignment and, given her weak performance in other work, the course. But of course I did have a choice. Would another extension have been appropriate? Should I have excused her from the assignment altogether? I still worry about the impact of my decision on her life.

A second student gave me an essay that he had previously submitted for another course. Such dishonesty is foreign to me as the values I learned as a student at university make such action unthinkable. Again I felt unsure as to exactly how to proceed but ultimately offered him a second chance to write an original essay. However, I do wonder if this was the right course of action. What lesson did he learn from the experience? Would I trust him inthe future with my health, money or family?

The scholarly knowledge inherent in a post secondary education can be attained solely from books or through some form of distance education. Yet, the underlying value of an education (which explains why people will pay up to $20,000 per year in some institutions) is that the university exposes students not only to ideas, but to people with ideas. In fact, the university exposes students to a wider range of people - with regard to world-views, values, cultural background, past experiences and expertise - than any other environment imaginable.

Having argued for the importance of the informal curriculum I must add - especially for my students - that doing well on the upcoming research essay remains a prerequisite for passing my courses.

 

Thomas R. Klassen completed his BA in Sociology at Trent University (1977 - 81), and is currently a member of the Sociology Department at Trent.


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