On being a student ... and being a teacher.

On being a student … and being a teacher.


After leaving my former spouse I started taking some university classes. I was very fortunate to have encouraging, enthusiastic professors. From my research and writing for one of my classes the professor soon realised why I had left my former spouse.

This professor asked me if I would give the final class of the year and talk about domestic violence. I was very reluctant, as the only mature student in the class I was a very visible “visible minority” and would have preferred to finds more ways to fit in than be seen to be different by being the only student asked to present to our class.

But when I thought about what difference it might have made in my life if someone had given me a class on these issues the first year I was in university … well then I couldn’t not say yes.

So I made a lesson plan, asked a friend to review it for me, got together some resources and some courage … and off I went to give a university class!

To try and give a context to violence and abuse I used the Power and Control Wheel to talk about the dynamics, healthy and unhealthy, that can be in any of our relationships or interactions with family, friends, in teams and workplaces.

My professor’s comment afterwards was that it was probably the most valuable class these young adults had received all year. Here was someone who was prepared to validate my experience and encourage me to use what I had learnt to inform and protect others. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

A copy of the Power and Control Wheel (and its many variations) is available at the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence website.


www.ncdsv.org (click on "Resources", then "Publications")

For an International Listing of Domestic Violence and Abuse Agencies, offered in over 70 langauges, see the "Hot Peach Pages" website at www.hotpeachpages.net

Take care … take heart … Merinda