TEACHING PEOPLE NOT CONTENT:
USING HIGHER EDUCATION TO DEVELOP HUMANITARIAN SKILLS
Dr. Len Austin
United States of America
Presented in Seoul, Korea, 2009 at a United Nations Conference
In America there is a slogan that many use when approaching a topic for discussion. We call it “The Shotgun
Approach.” This approach refers to a special short range rifle that sprays many tiny pellets in a very wide
pattern hoping to hit whatever is in the near vicinity. Its effectiveness is accurate at short range, but for the
more distant and elusive target it is of little use. When it comes to world peace, helping those who suffer, and
encouraging people to be more caring and gentle with one another, the shotgun approach simply does not work.
We need a new paradigm, a new model that produces better results.
While I am somewhat reluctant to refer to guns and shooting among such gentile and peaceable people who are
attending the World Civic Forum 2009 in Seoul, Korea, today, I hope I will be granted some gracious leniency
as I continue this metaphor throughout my speech.
I am aware of the many university programs throughout America that offer students the opportunity to travel
abroad, teach abroad, and engage in humanitarian relief efforts. It is not that area of humanitarian service in
universities that I wish to aim today. My target is much more focused. I want to target the faculty.
I want to identify the times and places where students are most susceptible to being influenced toward
developing a humanitarian philosophy. That place will be the college classroom, and by extension, the
professor’s office.
The classroom is the overlooked setting where the philosophy of humanitarian service is forged. It is during the
college years that students wrestle with developing a philosophy of life, and become sensitive to the diversity
within the world. It is the demeanor of the faculty member in the classroom, and his or her willingness to
organize students into small groups that will make a lasting difference.
The shotgun philosophy, used by administrators and teachers in higher education still today is exemplified when
we rely on lecture as the main vehicle to transfer of knowledge to students. We falsely believe that since
students are in close proximity to us in the classroom, that the lecture method is most efficient. The hope is that
many will receive the pellets of wisdom which professors have carefully packed into their shells over many
years of studying content and classroom management. It is this verbal rifle they hope will penetrate their
students, resulting in the faculty member feeling as if he or she has made a contribution to world peace.
Historically I and fellow faculty members in higher education have used the shotgun method as we lecture to
large groups of students. This approach typifies the impersonal long-distance approach; seeing students only as
distance objects, and viewing ourselves as somewhat removed from the personal nature of instruction. In
addition we often have seen ourselves as superheroes, the purveyors of all knowledge, the content expert. We
have been called “the sage on the stage,” “the degreed demagogue,” “the talking head,” “the tenured
torturer,” and other names that are even less flattering but more accurate.
I bring with me today this symbol of the shotgun rifle (holds up cardboard picture of a rifle) which should be
abhorrent to all who seek a better world. This is not the sign of peace, assistance, cooperation, or elegance of
character which should typify the refined person. It also should not typify the refined faculty member. Yet it is
the metaphoric symbol that unconsciously represents so many institutional philosophies; especially higher
education. The real crime here is that of all the institutions known to man, schools should be the place where
the best techniques and the most effective training takes place for world peace. Instead, when it comes to
selecting the types of instrument that we think will best affect change in others; we choose an instrument which
allows ourselves to keep a safe distance from those in who we would affect change. The attitude of stand back
and blast away hoping to hit someone somewhere is an accurate description of the shotgun approach in higher
education.
I have learned over the years that the symbolic shotgun rifle, built for accuracy and heralded as a symbol of
authority, is given to professors and leaders only after they have been successfully trained in its use. In this
case, their training consists of accumulating various academic degrees and various titles, such as lecturer,
assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, academic dean. All of these preparatory qualifications
qualify faculty (in the eyes of the world) to be excellent marksmen; for they have been well schooled in the use
of this instrument. They have served a mental apprenticeship themselves for over 16 years and were trained
under expert marksman as they marched from preschool to college graduation.
Because I desire to exemplify what American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said a century ago, to
“Speak softly and carry a big stick,” I will place down the shotgun (the impersonal lecture-only method) and
pick up a stick.
I prefer to approach my topic using another symbol… the Native American arrow with a suction cup at its tip
(holds up the toy arrow). The cup on the tip is there for safety, and to pass through customs at the Incheon
Airport. These stick arrows are often used by young American children at play. They shoot them from a
stringed bow as they imitate Indians hunting food. Many parents have found these toy arrows stuck to windows
in their homes, and on occasion, have even found them stuck to their foreheads.
While this symbol of the Native American arrow may still seem a bit hostile, it nevertheless is a symbol which
focuses its impact on one specific place, and is juxtaposed to the scattered shotgun approach. The arrow, in
order to be effective, must be aimed very accurately, with little room for error. The world is in such perilous
times that we need to be aiming accurately and making the best use of our time in higher education.
The target of my arrows today is you; only you, for I have learned I can only be truly influential with those
whom I have a personal relationship. Over my many years of community service, and throughout my political
involvements, training of professional counselors, involvement in religious excursions, and teaching in higher
education- the shotgun approach simply does not work. As we Americans often say, “We are not getting
enough bang for my buck.”
So I wish to be very clear about my point today. Higher education may not have its sights on the right goal. It
focuses on the delivery of content in a shotgun approach to its students. They’d teach content. I believe we
teach people not content.
I could easily interrupt myself here, and begin to speak from a college administration point of view (or even a
student services point of view) about how there are wonderful programs and activities being offered to address
the wholeness of a students’ lives. There is much is to be commended in these efforts. What a wonderful upturn
we have recently seen; due largely to the increased knowledge of the value of engaging college students in
service learning. In addition, research indicates that young people themselves are recognizing the value of
service to others and that life’s greatest satisfaction comes from relationships, family, and being of service; and
not through the seeking of greater riches, or power, or position.
Yet administering to students through programming, special events, and even through mission statements and
mottos, remains a shotgun approach.
Some have modified the barrel of their administrative rifle so as to hone its accuracy on better programming to
provide greater service opportunities for students. These are honorable attempts which bring about positive
results, but still there is this lingering notion that it is not enough. As I have witnessed these efforts I have
noticed their aim is good, but their shots are still too wide of the target. We cannot allow institutional
programming to be our main thrust in addressing such vitally important issues as world peace, and the need to
more fully engaged in worthwhile purposes.
If the answer cannot be found in institutions, can it be found in the media or literature? Learned people know
that in all cultures there are great writings, wonderful speeches, and enthralling books that help foster individual
desires for world peace. While impressive, these volumes are rare, and less consistent than the everyday
presence of a college professor.
The repeating consistent presence of a university instructor in a student’s life affords the powerful opportunity
to influence others for good. Nothing can take the place of time spent with an individual or on a task. The gift
of time brings us reflection and personal introspection. We must be very cognizant of using our time to greatest
effect.
So how can those of us in university and school settings be more effective in shooting our soft-tipped arrows
into the hearts of those students who are receptive and have a readiness to learn especially when it comes to
learning about the peaceable things of the kingdom?
First let’s try a little experiment. I want you to think about your own situation for a moment and answer this
question, “Who or what motivated you to be a caring person?” I will bet the answer is a “Who.” While there
may have been handed him that formulated a deep change within you, I still believe there were individuals
involved with that event to make it more deeply enriching. “What individual inspired you to do the good deeds
you are doing today?” “Who set the example for you?” “Who were your role models?”
I suspect you are like the rest of us; quickly able to recognize role models and individuals who have been
beacons of light. Often they come in the form of athletic coaches, youth leaders, ministers, club leaders, or
classroom teachers. Classroom teachers are often cited because of the amount of time that is spend with them.
It is safe to conclude that your hearts were turned and your philosophy formulated by the example of other
people, and less by institutional programming or interesting literature.
Each semester I ask my entry-level teachers-in-training to raise their hands if they believe their choice in
becoming a teacher is largely based on the influence of a previous teacher they encountered in high school or
middle school. It is always over 75% of the class that raises their hands. Further questioning indicates that it is
not the content they remember, but the person; the individual personality trait of that specific teacher who had
such a powerful influence on their lives.
Why is it then, if we know how vitally important the relationship between the teacher and student is, that we do
so little to promote it, so little to develop it properly? Why do we use the shotgun approach when students at all
grade levels report that they desire more meaningful relationships with their instructors?
Despite teachers’ glee over the newest and best learning techniques, the creation of standards of achievement,
and the significant breakthrough in technology applications, there remains nothing more powerful in the
classroom than the teacher, nothing! There is no theory or rubric that is more powerful than when a teacher
speaks from his or her heart directly into the ear of a student.
Why do we run from these relationships and opportunities? Why are we afraid to define ourselves as role
models? What keeps us from becoming personally involved in the lives of our students? Is it that we are
counseled away from being open and fully human in the classroom? Is it simply that some of us are just not that
type of person, the one who is naturally warm, caring and friendly?
Many elements combine to distract us from developing closer relationships with students. Certainly there is the
pressure to cover the curriculum and meet expected standards. Also, there is the danger that too close of an
involvement with a student might breach a professional ethical code of conduct.
Yet there remains this ever-growing need for faculty role models and humans touching humans. Erik Erikson
showed in his research that there are transitional life challenges faced by college students which can be eased
through the presence of a positive role model which Erikson called “models of leadership.” He held that college
students aged 18-20 develop a sense of personal identity during this time, and if they don’t, they will suffer role
confusion (which he described as a person without a sense of direction). A key determinant as to which of these
two paths the student will follow, can easily be influenced by the type of role models in their life at this “choice
point.”
Here is a simple example from my own life concerning the effects of a role model. Dr. Burt Sisco was an
instructor in one of my master’s level courses. He began each class by saying, genuinely, “Good Morning,
Fellow Learners.” That simple poignant statement reminded him of his role in the classroom while making us
feel as if we were co-partners in the learning process. It was a small thing, but it reflected his attitude towards
that today’s activities, and his relationship to us. It reminded him that no matter what was being taught today,
there was still room for him to learn something new too. His statement set the stage for him and us. It reflected a
camaraderie-approach, and was a public acknowledgment to us and him that he did not have all the answers. I
have used it for 20 years. It was a magical phrase then, it has been for me too, and I encourage you to
experiment with it. Dr. Sisco was teaching people, not content.
When teachers begin with this sort of attitude (of bringing themselves, all of themselves into the classroom),
they willingly admit that they are ready to be co-learners. This is a seminal role model trait. It goes without
saying that this must be a genuine and authentic attitude possessed by the teacher, and not a technique that is
applied so as to appear caring and collaborative. Perhaps the best check for authenticity is the following
question: “Am I willing to eagerly look for new learning today, and am I willing to be pro-active in
complimenting those students who can help me learn?”
This is the type of “mind set” that goes beyond lip service, beyond technique, and asks teachers to model a life
style. This aim is distinguished by having a predisposition toward inquiry-based learning, toward revealing
appropriate personal details of one’s life, toward trusting in students’ ability to learn for themselves, and toward
genuineness in relationships with students that leads to better academic achievement and greater student
satisfaction. When we teach people first and content second; we are in the business of building relationships.
The relationship focus brings a greater feeling of freedom in the classroom; a sense of increased democracy, and
leads to more honest and open questions being asked. College Professor Russell Osguthorpe said, “When we
embody this perspective, issues of freedom in the classroom become deeply human issues rather than issues of
curriculum, classroom management, or behavior control.”
George Noblit also offers an additional insight about democracy in the classroom being a noble trait which
teachers should model. Noblit wrote that role modeling in classrooms is not about finding a balance between
exerting teacherly authority and demonstrating mentoring nurturance; instead, it "is about the ethical use of
power.” And since teachers have the power, the arrows in the classroom, they call the shots.
Teachers who pride themselves on keeping all the power in the classroom manifest that power through the use
of threatening assessments, seeing themselves as the authority and the student is the recipient, keeping students
in an intermittent fear concerning their grades, etc. These characteristics will not lead students toward wanting
to emulate that teacher’s behaviors. It is incongruous with the statement, “Good Morning, Fellow Learners.”
I had another faculty role model during my schooling at the University Wyoming. He impressed me so
indelibly. He was an exemplary mentor in word and deed. Years later, almost subconsciously, I find myself
using a hand gesture, a phrase, a smile, or a verbal expression that he used. These were “ways he used to show
his caring and compassion for an individual. And now in the very moment when I imitate those behaviors I
know immediately their source. They come directly from his example and not his lesson plan or stated
objectives. I have found that my imitations of him have positive results with my students too. His example I
have internalized are now mine now, and an imitation of him.
Literally, his mentoring is his legacy, and it enlivens me. It will, in turn, be passed on to future teachers. Dr.
Michael Day (who I continue to want to be like) was not of my political party, was not of my religious
convictions, and was not of my economic status. But in informal settings (often one-on-one situations) he
would speak about things political and I would listen and observe his demeanor and conscientiousness. I was
saying he sensitized me rather than taught me. His influence transcended our differences. In addition I
observed him at a distance, and saw of the service activities in which he participated. I saw him helping with a
neighbor’s fence on a Saturday. I saw him working in organizations to educate and be of service. I saw him
organizing outdoor summer retreats for students which allowed for small group discussions and more intimate
contact with students. I became an “unpaid professional observer” of Michael Day. I felt that if I wanted to be
like him I had to do the things he did. I can only imagine what would it happened to me if more of the 80 to 100
teachers I experienced from kindergarten through graduate school had purposefully tried to model humanitarian
characteristics.
You who seek to help higher education become less sterile and more humane can start by reflecting on your
own personal experiences with other people who engaged in kindly humane acts. Start by asking, “When have I
felt cared for?” “Who was it, and what did they do that made me want to be like them? Then, “How can I
replicate those behaviors in my own sphere of influence?” By making appropriate transfer of your previous
experiences to your own classroom or organization, you personalize the process. You will find joy in
emphasizing people over teaching content. When I find myself and worrying too much about content I recall
the words of Parker Palmer: “We teach who we are.”
I want to suggest five thought-provoking ideas that seem worthy of pondering. First, I would mention that you
need to see yourself, your personal self, as being inextricably connected to the learning and teaching process. I
believe teachers can be more influential in changing lives than the printed word or social programs. Bringing
yourself, all of you, to the classroom setting is what is required. You are the instrument of change- not your
lessons! This will take some time and practice, and will require you to stretch yourself, and maybe even foster
some repenting. I strongly recommend that you read Parker Palmer’s book, Courage to Teach (2007), for
encouragement and a better understanding of how to be you in the classroom.
1. CHANGE OCCURS ONE PERSON AT A TIME
Remember to discard the shotgun approach and focus on individuals. If you still believe you can deliver an
inspiring talk, or deliver an innovative lesson, or you can publish research or a best-selling book that will change
people’s hearts and move them towards peace and compassion- if you believe that, then you are using an
outdated mode of thinking. Politicians think this way, don’t they? They use shotguns not arrows. Mother
Teresa warned, “Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.”
The greatest influence you will have will be over the one standing right in front of you or the one sitting in your
office, or the person who needs you to just listen. The ability to focus our affection and humanity on one person
at a time indicates something special about us. It is as Neal A. Maxwell said, “Our ability to individualize is a
test of our capacity to love.”
I challenge you to experiment with the “one arrow, one person” approach to changing your institution which
will in time affect the world. There really is no other way.
I have found the biggest changes in college students, and the biggest change in myself, have occurred through
the consistent one-on-one contact with students. It usually comes in the form of assisting a student with an
individualized project, chatting with him or her in my office, working in small groups where I am calm, seated,
and can be informal and talk in a conversational tone. It comes when I extend myself to someone when I see a
tear in the hallway, or become proactive when I sense a student is having a particular difficult day. These
incidences afford me the best opportunities to ask if I can help. They open a window where I can talk about
peaceable things and perhaps demonstrate that I am interested in the things that are meaningful to them. It is
here where I can become the Michael Day. It is in these close-up relationships that we are most closely
observed and emulated by students. In one-on-one conversations others see our genuineness. They see us in
our purest form. We may speak in shotgun-like fashion in lecture halls or talk of things humanitarian, and
perhaps spray our pellets of global peace from a podium, but it is in our very intimate relations with others, in
our relationships with students, that they can see our humanitarian hearts.
2. YOUR SPECIAL ENDOWMENT
I am going to make a generalization about you. I believe something stirs within you that does not stir within
others. There is a voice that sets you apart in your desire for peace and feeling connected with other humans. I
suspect you have known this for some time. You are endowed with a special gifts that I suspect Howard
Gardner would call interpersonal intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence, and perhaps Abraham Maslow
would call it moving towards self-actualization. And the scriptures would call “being an example of the
believers.”
Your type is deeply troubled by increasing local conflicts, rumors of wars, corruption in high places, poverty,
and man’s lack of civility to man. I want to dissuade you from being discouraged. I want to dissuade you from
thinking that your life will be less meaningful if you are not well known or of high station. Your special
endowment can affect marvelous change right where you are now. “Lift where you stand,” said Dieter F.
Uchtdorf, who was quoting a man who was directing other men attempting to lift a heavy piano. Don’t worry
about the larger picture, just “lift where you stand.” You are in a special place now, with a special endowment,
and a special work to do. Remember, each of us has a quiver of arrows with sufficient people within our local
target range to last a lifetime.
3. HUMANITARIAN AND CARING SKILLS CAN BE TAUGHT
You do it anyway. You are teaching simply because you are there. For good or ill, you are always teaching.
Seymour Sarason said, “I have never heard anyone argue that a teacher is not a model for children of how one
should think and act. It is not a matter of should the teacher be a model, but rather that he or she is a model.”
Therefore, teach humanitarian service by being involved in worthwhile efforts. I recommend you share your
uplifting personal experiences of service. I share mine in the classroom; not to bring attention to myself, but to
illustrate the joy that it brings me. I also try to share what I have learned from service and some of the juicy
unique experiences that arise from helping others. I share my experiences of conducting a weekly addictions
recovery group with my wife. Let your stories be examples of your humanity, especially when it comes to
caring and working with people who are outside your comfort zone. We need to share more success stories.
When a teacher has shared a personal experience, it’s probably usually not forgotten easily. Be sure to share the
feelings that arise within you from doing service, for feelings caring and emotional weight with them that place
them into long-term memory. That is where teachers want to affect students.
May I suggest two simple ideas that can easily be accommodated in almost all content areas? First, know and
use Conflict Resolution Skills. They are easy to find, and are useful tools for everyone in every living situation.
Secondly, learn about small Group Processing skills. How do you lead a group of people? How do you make
sure that everyone is heard in a group? How do you start a group and how do you conclude a group meeting?
Working effectively in small groups is not easy for you must keep people focused on the task without disrupting
relationships. You need to know how to cope with personal conflicts that arise, how to make decisions, how to
summarize, how to keep members involved, etc. There are many helpful books on this topic. I recommend
Irvin Yalom’s books and Gerald Corey group books.
4. SERVICE LEARNING
People in education circles have known for some time that there is no substitute for students having hands-on
real world experiences- through travel, service projects, working with the poor, or working in schools to help
children. We know these activities make the college experience more memorable and as someone said, “It
paints a little sunshine on our souls.” When volunteer service is combined with in-class review of the service
activity, we call it Service-Learning. It is a wonderful blending of experience in the community with classroom
theory. It is a powerful learning tool, and affords faculty the opportunity to talk to students about meaningful
service experiences and how they relate to what’s being taught in the classroom.
Not only does service ennoble us and raise our feelings of self esteem, but somehow it verifies our humaneness,
and through service to others there is a witness that comes to us at a very deep level that whispers, “This is
right,” “This is valid work.”
How does an instructor reinforce good works? Here is a simple technique. In your one-on-one interactions with
students say something like, “That must have made you feel very good when you did that.” Or you can say,
“Tell me how that made you feel when you were doing that service work?” Notice how these questions did not
tell the student how he or she should feel, but instead they elicit a positive feeling about the experience. This
allows students to process on their own the ways in which they were enriched by the experience. Then when
they orally articulate that pleasure to you or to their small group, it doubly reinforces the pleasurable experience.
Sometimes students need to be reminded about what is good, and what is less good. When students do it right,
it helps to reinforce that specific behavior. Although I am talking about rewarding and a prescient in students’
efforts I am well aware of the old saying that, “Such deeds have their own rewards.” However, when their
memory is coupled you’re your recognition and validation, a humanitarian spirit is born. BF Skinner said it
best, “We repeat pleasurable experiences.”
While those who serve are benefitted, we in higher education are attempting to solidify that behavior to get it
repeated, especially in the years to come. We want service and learning to be a lifelong characteristic.
It is in this collaboration between service to others and the guidance of a caring respected mentor that the
greatest probability for future involvements in humanitarian causes will exist. Nothing begets success like
success.
5. UNDERSTAND HOW TO RESOLVE SMALL CONFLICTS
Higher education, particularly colleges of education, need to do a better job of teaching students how to resolve
conflicts, how to manage arguments, and how to defuse tense situations. The skills are easily obtained, and
there’s much literature to educate. The problem is that it takes time and practice to become proficient at
resolving conflicts. Where our students going to get that time and experience?
Faculty who understand conflict resolution skills can use them in the classroom when minor disagreements
arise. Thus modeling proper conflict resolution techniques in class is observed by those students were present.
Conflict Resolution techniques include understanding how to remain relaxed and focused in intense situations
when the stakes are high and tempers flare. How to stay centered within ourselves and not become overly
emotional and irrational in challenging moments. How to be sensitive to nonverbal cues. How to be playful in
tense situations.
We also need to remember that if we suppress our genuine emotions (anger, fear, hurt, sadness) we can weaken
our strength and not be able to resolve complex issues requiring patience and focus on other people’s emotions
and thinking. How do you protect your own interests while trying to relate to the other person side? Also, if we
are afraid of emotional intensity or believe that all problems should be solved in a rational way, we are denying
ourselves access to some of the important keys in resolving conflicts. In the end, we should know how to foster
environments that are characterized by warm, caring, and above all… trust.
Conflict Resolution skills are learned skills and are vital to preparing young people to be voices of peace and
conflict diminishment. I am fully aware that there are people who do not seek peaceable solutions, or who do
not believe in negotiation, but they are outside our immediate circle of influence. We can only be influential
within our circle of influence; therefore let us influence the targets that are closest to us.
In conclusion I would say that peace and social responsibility begin within the individual. We miss the mark if
we believe that large shotgun approaches aimed at changing people’s hearts and intentions will be effective. In
the end we only have ourselves as the instrument of change, and that instrument can be honed and perfected
through acquiring various skills and techniques; including interpersonal refinement (improving ourselves),
knowing where the best opportunities are to teach others, through being a role model who embodies
humanitarian caring, and through the acquisition of certain skills such as organizing service learning projects for
students, teaching conflict resolution skills, and understanding that we need to be the change we wish to see and
others.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.