My student's eyes

A moment ago, one of my seniors, a Management major, left my office after thanking me for a valuable semester of learning (couldn't hurt). I can still see her eyes. She believes that what she learned and how she learned it was valuable. She looked me squarely in the eyes, from across the table I have between me and my guests. "Thank you, Doc".

Why am I so restive about this? I did a hell of a good job on that course. Now it dawns on me why I cannot get those trusting, appreciative eyes out of my head.

She is on a COOP (cooperative education) at a huge insurance company here in Hartford, Connecticut. She will stay on part time this Spring, until she graduates. She is the sole person (even as a COOP) handling incoming retirement items that they had underestimated in volume and complexity. They are hiring a temp worker to pick up the slack of her moving from full to part time. She is supposed to train this person, even though she is traveling over the semester break.

This is one 21 year old woman with a good mind and good heart upon whose shoulders this vast, global financial services company is resting a big chunk of new business.

Ironically, I came to my office from a 1:1 meeting with my retirement advisor from her company. That line of business my student is supporting included what I count on for a smooth transition to life beyond this work. She looked at me with those eyes and said, "Doc, my supervisor doesn't even understand this new material. They planned on 20 a day. Yesterday, we had over 200. I can leave (xxxx) in May and go out to find other work. She has been there 20 years and I think she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

What I am I driving at here?

This good young person thanked me for a course of study that I am not at all sure prepares her for the complexities, uncertainties, and managerial vagaries of today, let alone five years from now.

Entrepreneurial teacher? I thought I was, but now?

Entrepreneurial learner? She took it upon herself to write up the processes that she had pretty much invented to manage the volume of those in comings, but has far less stake in how things turn out than her supervisor does.

What do you see in the eyes of your students?