What resonated most with me in today’s class was McCourt’s commentary on honesty. Specifically, his inclination to relate and be his authentic self with his students. During my time in classrooms, I’ve felt a tension between presenting myself as a fully honest, relatable person, and needing to embrace a more authoritative, sterile presence. I have seen and felt the benefits of both these strategies, as well as their negative consequences. In both cases, there is potential for a lack of respect in the classroom. The fully honest person may be seen as weak and unable to control the classroom, since the students perceive them as an equal. Without command of the classroom, it is impossible to cultivate a meaningful learning environment. Alternatively, while the authoritative presence might command the class, they have not earned genuine respect from the students. As such, there is no authentic relationship between teacher and student, something which is essential for knowledge transfer.
McCourt’s strategies as a teacher demonstrate a sublime third option. By opening up and relating his life experiences to the students, he earns a type of respect which enables authority. It is an authority which is earned, and which enables him to maintain an authoritative presence without coming across as a tyrant. Furthermore, because he has the student's respect, the learning is natural and intuitive. He is able to both lead and follow them, acting as a guide as they take themselves to the places they need to go.
I hope embrace a style similar to McCourt, namely using authenticity to earn respect. I expect I will still feel tension for a long time, but it is relieving to see these strategies coming together in a balanced way.
After this reflection, I am wishing I had time to reread Robert Johnson’s writing about the ‘King / Queen’ archetype, and in particular the associated Shadow poles of ‘The Weakling’ and ‘The Tyrant’.
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