Re: new thread: fear of students

["The Writing Center" <wrcenter@irn.pdx.edu>]

Hi all,

This thread reminds me of the old addage about pet obedience schools; namely, that the schools are less about "training" your pet than in learning to understand the nature of your pet, and therefore, learning to understand the behavior of your pet.  An owner can influence that behavior, but certainly doesn't control it.  That's about as far as I'd want to push this analogy--I'd like to think that the obvious power relationship between owner and pet isn't analogous to the relationship between teacher and student.

Cliff Barnett
PSU Writing Center