Why UW-Whitewater

LINDA REID

I teach because the consequences of a societal disregard for the value of knowledge are grim. No one said it better than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." His words are ever more relevant in our current globally complex society.

Another quote I like is James Joyce's, from his "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man:" "When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets."

Both of these quotes speak to the importance of the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Like a passport, knowledge facilitates entry into foreign places and exposure to differing views. Each person who has been blessed with an opportunity to learn has a responsibility to avail himself of that gateway for exploration.

Oftentimes, the conduit between such a person and the knowledge he seeks is a professional teacher. As a teacher with limited personal experience and expertise, I realize that any effect of imparting to my students only the knowledge I personally possess would be a meager (and possibly detrimental) one.

Instead, I teach to be a catalyst for, not imparter of, knowledge and understanding. When I'm able to assist a student to better understand and care about a particular legal issue, or a country's political history, or a classmate's religious perspective, I believe I'm making the world less dangerous for the rest of those who will follow. That's why I teach.

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