Potential for Growth

Last week in my APT class, I had the students do an exercise where they rated themselves by criteria commonly found on letter of recommendation forms. The kind of forms that profs have to fill out all the time. Rate students on the following scale for the following items . . . Usually placing students in some percentage of all students (e.g., Top 2%, Bottom 50%). The students complied--even though it wasn't relevant to the class, really--but then insisted that they rate ME by those same measures. I was surprised that they rated me lowest in "Potential for Growth."

This surprised me, because from my own point of view I have not reached my full potential, professionally or personally. I'm only 35. I'm changing jobs soon, etc. I asked why they rated me so low on that category. Their answer: "You have a law degree and a Ph.D. You're a professor. You're married. What more is there?"

When I responded, "But I'm still a young man," one of my students blurted out, "What?"

A couple of thoughts (to be continued):

The students think of "growth" in terms of credentials, especially degrees, and events/conditions (getting a job, getting or being married). But I think of growth in much more intrinsic ways. What do I know? What can I do? Not really in terms of "What have I done?" at all.

This also highlights the gap students perceive between themselves and their professors.