Hierarchy refers to a system which assigns people or groups a certain ranking based on status or authority. Hierarchy sets the tone for power dynamics and behavior in our interactions. We tend to be more careful when speaking to someone above our rank than to a peer. For instance, I tend to be more careful when speaking to a course instructor as compared to a peer partly because the instructor’s impression of me may influence my grades. We need a hierarchy in a functional society. A disruption or absence of hierarchy leads to upheavals. For instance, civil wars in which two or more parties assert the leadership of a nation. Yet, within a hierarchy, each of our experiences of interacting with an instructor or supervisor could vary.
This is when I realize the importance of those on higher levels of a hierarchy being aware of the power dynamics within a hierarchy and managing them consciously. I have also come to appreciate the art of delivering a successful teaching and learning experience. The teaching ones - instructors - first need to establish their authority. But the best learning experience happens when the learning ones are allowed to grow by having an autonomous voice rather than being passive recipients of the knowledge transmitted. The caveat here is that letting the learning ones have an autonomous voice takes time and energy - not just of the teacher but the whole class. When students take turns to share thoughts or raise questions, it takes up class time. This can be stressful on the instructors’ end because they need to cover all of the syllabus within a time constraint. Instructors are not rewarded, if not penalized, for a delay in syllabus coverage.
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Looking back at my seventeen-year journey at schools, the best classroom learning experiences come from classes in which I was given the room to have an autonomous voice. They are not necessarily small classes. One such class had around thirty-five students. The instructor was able to carry himself with authority and yet with a genuine interest in students’ opinions or stories. We shared a classroom-version social contract - we students knew the instructor is congenial but also respected that he had authority in the class as the instructor. The boundary was clear - we were not developing friendships but a mutual-learning relationship. That boundary was made clear via the instructor’s constant emphasis of the punishments for violations of classroom code of conducts. On the other hand, he constantly dedicated time to ask students ‘what do you think?’. The biggest challenge for the instructor is to establish a free-speech yet regulated classroom atmosphere. Not to forget that the instructor needs to juggle between allowing students to speak out and covering every piece of the syllabus in a timely manner that allows the students to fully ingest the content. It can be annoying for students when there is too much students’ sharing at the expense of class progress.
That is an art of leadership and relationship management. It is not just about being humble, polite and friendly - the kind of traits I used to hold dearly. Indeed, humility and friendliness are by no means ill traits. Though, exhibiting these traits without acknowledging the power dynamics created by our behavior can lead to bewildering frustrations. I used to be stuck with the ‘good boy’ stereotype that I lost my autonomous voice for fear of losing favor in the sight of teachers, friends and acquaintances. I used to think that abiding by the virtue of politeness and courtesy can never go wrong. Those virtues are not wrong but real-world contexts are more nuanced than that.
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The issue with sticking with the virtue of politeness and courtesy was that it turned me into a people-pleaser. I spent a lot of time and emotional resources caring about the impact of my behavior - my use of words, body language, tone of voice, facial expression, acknowledgement of others etc. - on others. It drained my emotional energy and was a debilitating and frustrating experience. I was frustrated for being so sensitive over little things. It was a peculiar mire I found myself in. Now, I have learnt to abide by the preservation of autonomy, not appropriateness. Being nice and friendly seems like the appropriate thing (i.e. the thing that causes the least offense) to do on many occasions. However, losing my autonomous voices in exchange for a personable reputation is a disservice to myself and the people around me. It is when everyone preserves their autonomous voice we get the best out of everyone and build each other up.
Likewise, envy, admiration and compliments should be given in moderation. An excess of any of it carries an adverse effect on our autonomous voices, in turn, our emotional and mental wellbeing. Fending for one’s autonomy is not an act of arrogance - it is a pillar of the social contract of a democracy. That is one thing I learn from my experiences in the US that I will carry home.
This is when I realize the importance of those on higher levels of a hierarchy being aware of the power dynamics within a hierarchy and managing them consciously. I have also come to appreciate the art of delivering a successful teaching and learning experience. The teaching ones - instructors - first need to establish their authority. But the best learning experience happens when the learning ones are allowed to grow by having an autonomous voice rather than being passive recipients of the knowledge transmitted. The caveat here is that letting the learning ones have an autonomous voice takes time and energy - not just of the teacher but the whole class. When students take turns to share thoughts or raise questions, it takes up class time. This can be stressful on the instructors’ end because they need to cover all of the syllabus within a time constraint. Instructors are not rewarded, if not penalized, for a delay in syllabus coverage.
--
Looking back at my seventeen-year journey at schools, the best classroom learning experiences come from classes in which I was given the room to have an autonomous voice. They are not necessarily small classes. One such class had around thirty-five students. The instructor was able to carry himself with authority and yet with a genuine interest in students’ opinions or stories. We shared a classroom-version social contract - we students knew the instructor is congenial but also respected that he had authority in the class as the instructor. The boundary was clear - we were not developing friendships but a mutual-learning relationship. That boundary was made clear via the instructor’s constant emphasis of the punishments for violations of classroom code of conducts. On the other hand, he constantly dedicated time to ask students ‘what do you think?’. The biggest challenge for the instructor is to establish a free-speech yet regulated classroom atmosphere. Not to forget that the instructor needs to juggle between allowing students to speak out and covering every piece of the syllabus in a timely manner that allows the students to fully ingest the content. It can be annoying for students when there is too much students’ sharing at the expense of class progress.
That is an art of leadership and relationship management. It is not just about being humble, polite and friendly - the kind of traits I used to hold dearly. Indeed, humility and friendliness are by no means ill traits. Though, exhibiting these traits without acknowledging the power dynamics created by our behavior can lead to bewildering frustrations. I used to be stuck with the ‘good boy’ stereotype that I lost my autonomous voice for fear of losing favor in the sight of teachers, friends and acquaintances. I used to think that abiding by the virtue of politeness and courtesy can never go wrong. Those virtues are not wrong but real-world contexts are more nuanced than that.
--
The issue with sticking with the virtue of politeness and courtesy was that it turned me into a people-pleaser. I spent a lot of time and emotional resources caring about the impact of my behavior - my use of words, body language, tone of voice, facial expression, acknowledgement of others etc. - on others. It drained my emotional energy and was a debilitating and frustrating experience. I was frustrated for being so sensitive over little things. It was a peculiar mire I found myself in. Now, I have learnt to abide by the preservation of autonomy, not appropriateness. Being nice and friendly seems like the appropriate thing (i.e. the thing that causes the least offense) to do on many occasions. However, losing my autonomous voices in exchange for a personable reputation is a disservice to myself and the people around me. It is when everyone preserves their autonomous voice we get the best out of everyone and build each other up.
Likewise, envy, admiration and compliments should be given in moderation. An excess of any of it carries an adverse effect on our autonomous voices, in turn, our emotional and mental wellbeing. Fending for one’s autonomy is not an act of arrogance - it is a pillar of the social contract of a democracy. That is one thing I learn from my experiences in the US that I will carry home.