My major discipline has been educational psychology. In master’s and doctorate studies at UP in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I encountered teachers of all types and persuasions—the conservative and radical, religious and irreverent, diligent and lazy, those who read your papers and those who only put a mark. The late Dr. Gaceta was a professor of educational philosophy—the first course I took for my MA. She came to class one day announcing that she has read our first paper and that mine was the best paper. It would have ended there; but she asked me to stand and read it aloud in class. I could still hear my voice as I read with a sense of pride my paper titled “The Educational Philosophy of Parents and Its Effects on Children.” Years after, as a professor, I understand
She shared with us the importance of
the educational benefit—for the writer as much as the rest of the class. Hence for every class, I announce the best papers or exams, explain why, and ask the students to borrow the best papers to learn. Many of my students have expressed their appreciation for my giving time to actually read and write feed- back of both contents and processes on their work; I also write personal notes at the end of the semester on their strengths and weaknesses, to help them grow, and to better their writings. preparation and thought. Every morning she reviewed for the lectures in the afternoon, even when she had taught the same text for many years.
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