"What the Ass Can Not Endure"
by
Larry "Harris" Taylor, Ph.D.
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The lecture portion for the first Master Diver class I ever taught (more than 100 hours of lecture) was done in my apartment. As a graduate student, both space and money were scarce. So, I purchased a solid folding table and 4 folding chairs. The lectures were in about 6 hour blocks (with a 5-10 minute break every hour). Often, we had pizza or subs delivered.
After the class was over, I asked my students for an evaluation. One student, a 54 year old Nuclear Chemist (who had fascinating stories of WWII Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project), had only one negative comment,
"It is hard for the brain to absorb, what the ass cannot endure!"
This demonstrates conclusively that his obtaining a Ph.D. degree had prepared him to state, with eloquence, the obvious.
So, I discarded the folding chairs and used the class proceeds to purchase some heavily padded chairs.
The point is:
Your students are your best guide to THEIR comfort.
Listen to THEIR words to improve your personal teaching style and THEIR comfort.
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About The Author:
Larry "Harris" Taylor, Ph.D. is a biochemist and Diving Safety Coordinator at the University of Michigan. He has authored more than 200 scuba related articles. His personal dive library (See Alert Diver, Mar/Apr, 1997, p. 54) is considered one of the best recreational sources of information In North America.
All rights reserved.
Use of these articles for personal or organizational profit is specifically denied.
These articles may be used for not-for-profit diving education