My Non-geographic Fundamentals Class
Last June I started an online, non-geographically based RC fundamentals class. (If no classes had been available near where someone lived, they’d been referred to people who had offered to teach online.) For me it was an exciting opportunity to teach fundamentals again, which I hadn’t done in years.
I’ve immensely enjoyed teaching the class. The students span the globe from South Korea, to Canada, to the United States. It’s been enriching and illuminating to hear about life in the many places. The students appreciate the classes and have used their listening skills with friends, coworkers, and relatives. They are impressed that something as simple as taking turns listening is so effective. They have used the classes on oppression and liberation to discharge and gain perspective. Several of them have attended online events in my Region—a family class for People of the Global Majority, an African-heritage support group, a Jewish support group—as well as International webinars and a physicians’ workshop. They all look forward to and count on [rely on] the weekly classes and their Co-Counseling sessions.
“Commuting” immediately to sessions, classes, and workshops has a definite advantage. Much is lost from the lack of physical contact, but my students who have never experienced RC activities in person do not miss it. And some people may feel safer in two-way sessions when they’re not together physically, especially when past experiences of domination are an issue.
There are challenges. More often people don’t have a close Co-Counselor outside of the class—someone to debrief with when hard things come up in their counseling work. Side conversations with students during class are almost impossible, so meeting with individuals outside of class is sometimes necessary. Not having physical contact, especially when needed to contradict distress, can be hard. I’ve told people things like, “I’m holding you,” when it’s seemed like they needed a hug.
Taking all this into consideration, I highly recommend teaching a non-geographic class. It’s rewarding.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Reprinted from the e-mail discussion list for RC teachers
(Present Time 205, October 2021)