Welcome to my class!
Congratulations! You are now battle-hardened, second-semester students. Alas, in three short years, you are likely to be battle-weary employees soon enough.
Allow me to share four aspects of the teaching philosophy that I bring to this class. My approach is partly based upon my experience as an educator, including 29 years of teaching at Notre Dame. It also stems from what I have learned as a Notre Dame parent. I know something about your ways and practices.
First, you are at Notre Dame because you are intelligent and talented. Yet as you have already found, everybody around you is intelligent and talented, too. (In fact, Notre Dame student frequently suffer from imposter’s syndrome, the illusion that everyone around them is more talented than they are. Yet I have consistently found that people who appear to have everything under control are suffering from the same imposter’s syndrome. See HERE). Your challenge in life is to be interesting. This means that you should acquire the tools, the wisdom, and the passion to make people care about who you are, what you have to say, and what you will become.
Second, I am not interested in conventional definitions of what it means to be educated. In my courses, I emphasize analysis and understanding. If you can’t analyze and understand, you won’t be able to persuade. Persuasion is one of the keys to professional and personal success.
Third, why did you decide to attend Notre Dame over a variety of other institutions, such as The Ohio State University (a.k.a., “The”), the Leland Stanford Junior University, and various East-coast finishing schools. Did it matter to you that Notre Dame is a Catholic university? In our time of political, moral, and epistemological crisis, our university’s distinctive character should matter in some significant way, even if you are not religious.
Finally, to quote a prominent contemporary philosopher, “along with great privilege comes great responsibility.” University education is a privilege that few people in the world experience. Who knows why both you and I have been given the blessing of leisure time to cultivate our minds? We are morally obliged to make the most of this gift. As the Bible says: “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, that those who come in may see the light” (Luke 11:33). Yes, I quote the Bible a lot (raised as a Protestant!).
My office hours are Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 and Wednesdays 2:00-4:00. My office is 2080 Nanovic Hall. You do not need a specific reason to visit me. By nature, I’m always eager to know what’s on your mind. My email: amcadams@nd.edu
Again, I am glad you are in my class. I hope to challenge you. I also hope you enjoy the challenge.
NOTE: Please turn off and do not use your technology during class. This includes electronic devices of any kind, such as laptops, i-Pads, cell phones, Kindles, video cameras, video games, FBI trap-and-trace devices, dog fences, or other personal digital contraptions.
Above all: this is a no-tweet zone. Some practices are simply not dignified!