As I move into my tenth year of teaching in the law school
setting, I have begun to wonder whether I have become more of a counselor than
a traditional teacher. I’m not
suggesting that one is necessarily preferable to the other; I’m just wondering
how I should describe my job when others ask me what I do for a living. Am I alone in having the following (or
similar) exchange with new acquaintances?
“So, what do you do for a living?”
“I’m teacher.”
“That’s great. What
do you teach high school? Grade school?”
“Actually, I’m a law school professor.” (I usually puff my
chest out a bit at this point).
“That’s great . . . so what do you teach?”
This is where I usually get stuck. I can say that I run an Academic Excellence
Program, which will generate a quizzical look from my new, and quickly becoming
confused, acquaintance. I know that I help
first year students transition into law school. I know that I also work with students who are in academic
difficulty. Digging a little deeper, I teach
skills like outlining, legal synthesis, and bedrock concepts like legal
analysis. Some of this teaching takes
place in the classroom, but I spend a great deal of time meeting with students
to discuss these concepts, and others, on a one-on-one basis. This is where I get stuck again.
outlines or to review an answer to an exercise that I have posted. Regardless of the proposed reason for our
meeting, many students have other issues on their mind that require
attention. What are they?
I’m having trouble sleeping
I just got into a fight with my significant other
I don’t have time to spend with my family
I’m the dumbest person in my class
I’m no longer sure that I want to be a lawyer
The list goes on and on, however, these issues have one
thing in common. They have little to do
with academics, which brings me back to where I started. Am I a counselor? Maybe many of you don’t deal with these
issues when students raise them, but I feel that I have to. My students have academic problems that must
be dealt with, but their personal issues are a part of the problem as
well. In fact, dealing strictly with
academic issues strikes me as a waste of time when I know that the personal
problems, at the very least, contribute to the student’s academic difficulty.
I don’t have any specific training as a counselor, but I am
a good listener. Thankfully, a good
listener – who discreetly moves a box of tissues within reach when the need
arises – seems to be what most of my students need. I rarely have to offer very much in the way
of advice, except to say that there feelings or problems are normal and can be
dealt with. On occasion, I do have to
give more specific advice about managing one’s time more efficiently, or the
need to take part in non-law school related activities, or to be sure to get
enough sleep. I feel like I’m on pretty
safe ground with these recommendations as they sound like the kind of advice my
mother would have given me!
In the end, I guess it doesn’t make any difference whether
counseling has become part of my job description. As for explaining what I do to new
acquaintances . . . maybe I’ll just say that I teach contracts. (hnr)
