In a recent article from the ezine “Faculty Focus,” Patty H. Phelps, Ed.D., described a pervasive problem in her teaching, one that made her feel off-balanced and lacking dedication: 

 

“[I]t became evident that my off-balance feeling was linked to the pietas of teaching. …In Vergil’s Aeneid, a major theme is pietas—a Latin word that means both “duty” and “devotion.”  In founding what would become Rome, Aeneas struggled with his own sense of duty to his country and devotion to his family. In teaching, both duty and devotion matter.”

 

As Phelps reminds us, “there are some aspects of teaching that involve duty, e.g., grading papers, keeping records, and preparing a syllabus. Other aspects of teaching require devotion, such as getting to know one’s students, making class sessions meaningful for them, and continuing to grow and learn oneself.  Some faculty experience entire careers only from the duty side of teaching. However, fulfillment comes from a commitment to duty and devotion.  In my case a snag occurred because my devotion had diminished. I was going through the motions and teaching had become merely a duty.”

 

On August 20th and 21st, several of our new College of Engineering faculty emphasized quite strikingly their sense of both duty and devotion as they participated in lively and informative discussions during the FastStart program.

 

In one activity, the new faculty were asked to reflect on “what type of professor” they wanted to be, and if their answers could be summarized in two words, they would be: making contributions. Participants stated that they wanted to be “good citizens” of their university community, “joyful” and “passionate,” inspiring students and making key contributions to their fields. Their enthusiasm was impressive and contagious. It was a wonderful to kick off AE³’s 15th year of service to the College of Engineering!

Thought for the start of the semester:  Do you approach your teaching as both duty and devotion?