Well, just as Yugoslavia disappeared in the meantime, so did that custom. But did this message ever truly disappear, regardless of the knee work involved in its expression?
I know my experience is completely different from that of EUR students, which is why I’m often envious of my students. Yet, I’m becoming more aware that the omniscience expectation might still be present in the classroom. And it’s not just the students; I think we teachers have deeply internalised that belief, and I don’t think this belief benefits either side.
Despite the greater freedom in teacher-student interaction, I still recognise that neither my students nor I are as free in our interactions as I would like us to be. For instance, students often justify their lack of interaction by explaining that they don’t want to ask stupid questions. To be bluntly honest, as I usually am, I firmly stand by the belief that stupid questions do exist. But I’m even more convinced that they must be, and as often as possible, part of the context specifically designed for them – education. Maybe the real world is not an optimal environment for stupid questions, but the classroom definitely is and should be.
Yet, what my students don’t know is that on the other side of this interaction is a person often terrified by the possibility of not having all the answers. You see, the pressure behind the omniscient authority idea is pressing on us too, creating unrealistic expectations for ourselves. We as teachers have our own paths of education, different experiences, and our expertise usually lies in a specific area of work. Still, we are often referred to as some kind of overgeneralised role model, which can be a heavy burden.
We should not feel forced to prolong the illusion of being know-it-alls, but rather be kind in sharing what we know and be equally brave in sharing what they we don’t know (yet)! At the end of the day, the most important thing about education is getting the DIY tools, as education should last far longer than studying – it should last as long as we do.
In the current political situation the government seeks to sideline us, assuming we will quietly endure such blatant disrespect. As long as we as a community hold unrealistic expectations for ourselves, we will sell ourselves short, always feeling undeserving. Others, with agendas different from ours, may think they can abuse that self-critical attitude and make disrespectful decisions in our name.
But we – while not only far smarter than we sometimes think we are, but not as omniscient as we expect ourselves to be – are definitely one of the main pillars of any successful society, actively building all other relevant parts of its foundation. And that right there deserves respect from both ourselves and one another. When we stand up for each other, politicians will have to catch up.
Irena Bošković is assistant professor of Forensic and Legal Psychology.
