Maeda's SIMPLICITY

The Up Side of Down

Today I learned from my trusty, and sometimes brutally honest (thankfully), assistant that reviews for my current MIT undergraduate class were poor. This was a revelation for me as I enjoy teaching and interacting with undergrads. My first reaction was the classic failure reaction of difficulty in breathing and massive reduction of my already abnormally-low blood pressure. That was two hours ago now, and I'm happy to say that I can breathe more regularly at the present time.

I am certain that the students' discomfort is grounded. I've grown a bit cautious about teaching too many facts and skills. Instead I am now passionate about teaching feeling. But you really can't teach someone how to feel. So perhaps it's an unachievable goal.

Undergraduate life here at MIT can be brutal with the incredible 24/7 onslaught of problem sets. This term I chose to administer the experience of uncertainty and awkwardedness in their weekly problem solving. I consulted Amber on my current problem, to which she contributed, "They (the MIT students) are used to a certain kind of learning pain at an enormously high dosage level; but you're administering a different kind of learning pain that although less, actually hurts more." The light went on in my head. If you're used to taking it in the face all the time, your ready for another; but when you get your toes stepped on for the first time it's going to hurt because the pain is brand new.

In conclusion, the way to get beyond my issue at hand is to attempt simplification by establishing trust with the students that my process may not be flawed. That will certainly not be easy. But that is what will make it interesting, and ultimately simpler, for all of us.

In response to this post, a former student advises me of the following, "Having just finished my first quarter at Wharton, I have been thinking about the differences between upenn and mit. At MIT, there is an implicit assumption that you are brilliant. Consequently the problem sets *are* brutal as they ask critical questions that go beyond understanding, way past synthesis and border on new territory. Maybe you just need to reframe their expectations. Let them know that you expect their brilliance to show in a whole different and unexpected direction." One can never stop learning from their students.