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15 December 2008
07 December 2008
I never said thank you for that, now I'll never have a chance
Yesterday was so strange. Early in the day, I received an email letter from a former student that read:
Less than half the day later, whilst still aglow, I got the news that one such inspirational figure in my own education had passed away, and it felt as though all the air had gone from the world for a moment. Dr. Paul Farkas was one of the few true scholars I have met in my life. His knowledge and intellect were without parallel; he could have been a professor anywhere, and he chose to be at Metro to teach those who needed his energy and time most. Our department was lucky to have him. We, his students, were even luckier.
One of the first classes I took at Metro as an undergrad - a million years ago now - was Dr. Farkas' Myth, Symbol, and Allusion course. I was quiet, but sitting and listening to him every day were the highlights of my week. Not only did this class significantly contribute to my particular educational path and would ultimately become a key element of my dissertation work, but I simply learned so much. Dr. Farkas had an encyclopedic brain, and he could talk for an entire class period without so much as a pause and none of it was boring. Even though he and I never personally bonded - mostly because this early in my college career I was still content to be a quiet listener - I always admired him and I never forgot the things I learned in his class. Even now when I teach Children's Lit in particular, I feel like I channel Dr. Farkas when I go off on tangents about the significance of the Janus figure at the end of the first Harry Potter book. Or how all things go back to The Odyssey for me. Or when I plan to teach The Odyssey next term and immediately went back to my class nots from his class.
And now the rest is silence.
I am saddened by the fact that I had hoped to tell him one day about the impact he had on me as a student. That his office is in the same hallway as mine makes this crime more egregious. He should have gotten at least an email from me like the one I received. I never would have received it without his being in the world.
[from Jimmy Eat World's "Hear You Me"]
May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.
So what would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.
And if you were with me tonight,
I'd sing to you just one more time.
A song for a heart so big,
god wouldn't let it live.
I wanted to email you to say thank you!! Regarding the email below…go ahead and read it to refresh your memory :o)…I have been thinking about your response lately and want you to know how much I appreciate the fact that you genuinely cared that I learned and were willing to help me overcome my barriers to learning. You didn’t tell me how to do it or hold my hand so that I didn’t actually learn. Instead, you encouraged me and gave me a few ideas to break down my walls of uncertainty in order for me to expand my knowledge and have confidence. You taught me how to enhance the instruction you gave us in class and teach myself outside of class. Which is what college is all about, right?
For any class, but especially for an Intro class, that is an incredible and valuable achievement. You definitely went above and beyond and I want you to know how much I appreciate it!!! You demonstrate a real interest in whether or not your students learn and give them the tools they need to be successful. (I only wish the instructors in my major were as passionate as you and cared about their students.) You are an asset to the college!
I'm sure you can easily imagine how wonderful it is to get a note like this and I do not post it here by way of bragging, either. When I read it I realised that (1) this is the response I have always wanted to what I do, and (2) it's exactly the kind of thing I needed to say to those who inspired me to be this teacher.Less than half the day later, whilst still aglow, I got the news that one such inspirational figure in my own education had passed away, and it felt as though all the air had gone from the world for a moment. Dr. Paul Farkas was one of the few true scholars I have met in my life. His knowledge and intellect were without parallel; he could have been a professor anywhere, and he chose to be at Metro to teach those who needed his energy and time most. Our department was lucky to have him. We, his students, were even luckier.
One of the first classes I took at Metro as an undergrad - a million years ago now - was Dr. Farkas' Myth, Symbol, and Allusion course. I was quiet, but sitting and listening to him every day were the highlights of my week. Not only did this class significantly contribute to my particular educational path and would ultimately become a key element of my dissertation work, but I simply learned so much. Dr. Farkas had an encyclopedic brain, and he could talk for an entire class period without so much as a pause and none of it was boring. Even though he and I never personally bonded - mostly because this early in my college career I was still content to be a quiet listener - I always admired him and I never forgot the things I learned in his class. Even now when I teach Children's Lit in particular, I feel like I channel Dr. Farkas when I go off on tangents about the significance of the Janus figure at the end of the first Harry Potter book. Or how all things go back to The Odyssey for me. Or when I plan to teach The Odyssey next term and immediately went back to my class nots from his class.
And now the rest is silence.
I am saddened by the fact that I had hoped to tell him one day about the impact he had on me as a student. That his office is in the same hallway as mine makes this crime more egregious. He should have gotten at least an email from me like the one I received. I never would have received it without his being in the world.
[from Jimmy Eat World's "Hear You Me"]
May angels lead you in.
Hear you me my friends.
On sleepless roads the sleepless go.
May angels lead you in.
So what would you think of me now,
so lucky, so strong, so proud?
I never said thank you for that,
now I'll never have a chance.
And if you were with me tonight,
I'd sing to you just one more time.
A song for a heart so big,
god wouldn't let it live.
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