September 11, 2014
Written by Maximus Peperkamp, M.S. Verbal Behaviorist
Dear Reader,
Events have been happening in the last couple of days which
have left this writer feeling stressed. Yesterday, as he taught his
psychology class, things were grinding to halt as he was unable to
facilitate something interesting to his students. He asked for
feedback about how he could make it more entertaining and the students were
asking for experiments and they wanted to talk with each other in groups. He divided class in groups and this revived a positive atmosphere and toward the
end of class they did an experiment. The result was good, but students still seemed puzzled as to what they were learning.
At his other job, where this writer teaches classes to parolees, a
conversation took place between this writer, his colleague and his supervisor.
His colleague is a Christian, opinionated and troubled female, who, besides being domineering, colludes with the clients. She doesn’t want this writer to say
anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, because this makes her feel uncomfortable.
She used negative words as “escalate” and “pissed off”and was accusatory and
critical about this writer’s behavior and about what happens during the group, which they are supposed to lead together. Like many of the clients, she stated that she was not going to change and she justified her unwillingness to change as merely having a difference of opinion. When she was confronted with her interfering and
demeaning behavior, she took on an extreme and unrealistic position that from now on she will not say
anything anymore. This writer realizes, as his supervisor had also stated, that she
doesn’t quite understand him. According to him there needs to be more rather than less
conversation. However, the supervisor has her own limitations. She is so used to spinning everything that she is almost unable to have any real conversation. Yet, at various moments she appreciated this writer for his ability to have that, but when it comes to her own behavior, she immediately backs out, just like his colleague.
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