Could Humility Be the Heart of Our Classroom Communities?

JULIE E. YONKER

If we desire humility to be an important value in our life together in community, especially in the classroom or science labs, we need to understand what we mean by humility. Within the Christian context, humility is often one of those “Christian-ese” words, like “grace” or “righteousness” or “sanctification.” We sort of know what it means, but we can be hard pressed to explain it to someone who doesn’t speak the “Christian language.” For us, for our students, and for others to deeply value the practice of humility, we need to be explicit about what humility is and is not.

Let’s start at the beginning: the Bible. Humility is a frequent theme in the New Testament, second only to the number of teachings on love (Bridges 3). Although there is an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 devoted to helpful examples about love, there are no such chapters devoted to humility. Humility is encouraged within relationship with God and others; therefore, humility is important within our community. We learn from the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1–12) and Paul’s description of the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22–24) about the importance of connecting our lives of dependence on God with others through thriving relationships. In Romans 12, we are challenged to approach God with respect tinged with awe. We are also challenged to offer gratitude to God for who he is. Fulfilling these challenges results in an outcome of godly appreciation exemplified through humble relationships with others as God’s image bearers. Humility is not humiliation, shame, or embarrassment. These negative perspectives on humility are a distortion of our self-worth as God’s image bearers (Roberts 101). Given this very brief synopsis of why humility is important to God, to relationships, and to us, we understand more from a Christian perspective, yet we still require a precise definition.

As a psychologist, I can definitively state that the field of psychology is a discipline that adores definitions. Within the subfield of positive psychology—the study of contributors to human thriving—research has focused on some of the key features of humility, namely, an accurate estimation of one’s abilities and appreciation of the attributes and abilities of others (Peterson and Seligman). Therefore, the definition of humility that we land on is this: an accurate intra- and interpersonal awareness and appreciation of who we are in relation to others. If you dissect this definition, you will see that there are other relational Christian practices embedded in humility’s definition, specifically, empathy and gratitude. When we practice empathy, we take the perspective of another person. When we practice gratitude, we recognize our limitations and our indebtedness to others. Therefore, humility, encompassing empathy and gratitude, has the power to enrich our relationships with others and thereby

Humility is an accurate intra- and interpersonal awareness and appreciation of who we are in relation to others.

This humble community environment should empower students to be brave rather than anxious when seeking assistance because they understand themselves better and understand who and how others could be supportive to their learning.

our community. Humility could be considered a strength of a thriving community.

Now that we understand that humility is succinctly defined as an accurate self-evaluation and appreciation of others, we can consider what this means for the study and practice of science. A community that practices humility may be able to ease the all-too-common science anxiety—that is, the negative attitude with which some students approach science courses and the fear of failure that accompanies that negative attitude (Mallow 862). For example, if a classroom community is built on the practice of humility, the environment is supportive of students learning to understand their individual strengths and challenges, as well as to appreciate that God has differently enabled us for the benefit of everyone. This humble community environment should empower students to be brave rather than anxious when seeking assistance because they understand themselves better and understand who and how others could be supportive to their learning. Rachael Baker, in her article in this issue, has provided a beneficial connection to how a humble community can support the practice of study.

You may be wondering how we teach humility in our classrooms or research labs. You may also be concerned about taking time away from necessary science content. Teaching these Christian practices takes a short time for introduction of the practices, occasional reminders of their importance, and as much time as you allow at the end of the week for reflection/ discussion. Of course, we begin our teaching with a definition that provides the foundational framework for our humility practice, an accurate selfevaluation, and appreciation of others. We teach the practice of humility by acknowledging that humility could be encompassed by the importance of being honest and realistic about who we are as individuals (possessing both strengths and weaknesses, accurate understandings and misconceptions) and who we are in relation to others within a community (open-mindedness that respects and honors the cognitive stance of others). We impress upon students that in order to be successful in the interdisciplinary team settings integral to scientific and class work, we must be willing to admit that we do not possess expertise in all areas and recognize that the success of the team (as well as our own success) depends upon a willingness to share knowledge and learn from others. We must be willing to practice humility.

Once we have defined what we mean by humility and how it impacts the individual and community, we issue a weekly humility challenge for students and teachers to practice. For example, our challenge consists of choosing one or more of the following humility practices for the week:

• At least once a week during class (either as part of the whole class or during a small group discussion), ask a question to the professor or a peer about something you don’t understand. • Admit when you do not know something, do not understand something, or do not know how to do something. Do not pretend to have knowledge or abilities that you lack. • Admit mistakes when they occur rather than hide or ignore them. • Ask for help when you need it. • Display patience when others ask for help, admit they do not understand something, or tell you that they have made a mistake, recognizing that these acts require humility (and courage).

After the week of humility practice, we discuss in class the humility activities we chose to practice. We encourage everyone to describe the impact of implementing the practice.

• Was this practice comfortable or uncomfortable for you? How did it change your experience in the classroom? • Why is humility important in community? • Is humility a virtue that is valuable in leaders? Discuss the importance for modeling admission of mistakes, forgiveness, position as learner (lack of knowledge), etc. • Are there limits to the value of admitting mistakes or acknowledging lack of knowledge? This would be a good opportunity to discuss the relationship between study (a commitment to learning and being prepared) and humility. • Consider this question together: Does humility have a place in competitive settings? If so, what does humility look like in an environment where prestige and recognition matter?

As teachers, we value sound pedagogical interventions to help our students learn and improve on their attitudes and behaviors. As scientists, we value experimentation to prove that an intervention accomplishes what we hope for it to accomplish. To illustrate, we will share the results of our intervention with Calvin summer science research students. Our outcome for students who participated in a team science community and intentionally engaged in Christian practices was a measurable positive change in attitudes and behaviors related to community and Christian practices. Our preliminary study used a within- and between-subjects design; in research design jargon this means that we examined changes within the participant (from Time 1 to Time 2) and changes between participant groups (intervention group vs. control group). Thirty-two students completed a survey at the beginning of the summer and repeated the survey in early September. The survey consisted of assessments of gratitude, prosocial attitudes and tendencies, spiritual well-being, intellectual humility, and empathy. In our statistical analysis, we found a significant difference between the control group and the intervention group: the intervention group scored significantly higher on intellectual humility—a subcategory of humility. Intellectual humility is defined as being humble in the way one acquires and applies knowledge, tolerant of others’ ideas, and open to discussion and collaboration (Krumrei-Mancuso and Rouse 209). We chose the assessment of intellectual humility as it more accurately measured what the students were engaging in over this research summer. Although we were pleased to find that our students were demonstrating more intellectual humility after their summer practices, this was a very small, preliminary study. We hope to gather more data in the future.

If we have not yet convinced you that the practice of humility is a beneficial practice for the individual and community, we will conclude with this information. Based on the definition of humility (an accurate self-evaluation and appreciation of others), there are several attributes of humble people that allow communities to function better and more efficiently. Humble individuals are more teachable, less defensive, less entitled, better at selfregulation, more accepting of both positive and negative feedback, more

What does humility look like in an environment where prestige and recognition matter?

We were pleased to find that our students were demonstrating more intellectual humility after their summer practices.

As you can imagine, a classroom or lab of humble individuals has benefits for the educator; they are a joy to teach.

able to delight in the success of others, better at revealing vulnerabilities, more likely to ask for help when needed, more prone to encourage others, and more likely to forgive. As you can imagine, a classroom or lab of humble individuals has benefits for the educator; they are a joy to teach. A classroom of humble individuals also creates efficiencies in how a classroom or team functions; namely, students are more willing to ask questions and be vulnerable in their learning, which makes it easier for the teacher to address areas of confusion, thereby saving time. Here are some student quotes when reflecting on practicing humility: “When looking back at my experience in the classroom, humility changed my orientation from me focused to group focused”; “I . . . noticed that I was a happier person while intentionally practicing humility. The prideful mentality is a heavy load to carry while being a college student.”

This “accurate view of ourselves” notion is a key element of contemporary definitions of humility and one that aligns with the meaning of the Greek word—tapeinos—that Jesus and the apostles used when calling followers to humble themselves. This word “conveys the idea of having a right view of ourselves before God and others.” It suggests the importance of being honest and realistic about who we are as individuals and in relation to others as members of a community (Tarrants). Humility is the heart of our community!

Works Cited

Bridges, Jerry. The Blessing of Humility: Walk within Your Calling. NavPress, 2016. Tarrants, Thomas A. “C.S. Lewis on Pride and Humility.” C.S. Lewis Institute, July 7, 2008, https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources /c-s-lewis-on-pride-and-humility/. Krumrei-Mancuso, Elizabeth J., and Steven V. Rouse. “The Development and

Validation of the Comprehensive Intellectual Humility Scale.” Journal of

Personality Assessment, vol. 98, no. 2, Mar. (2016): 209–21. Mallow, Jeffry V. “A Science Anxiety Program.” American Journal of Physics, vol. 46, no. 8, Aug. (1978): 862. Peterson, Christopher, and Martin E. P. Seligman. Character Strengths and

Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. 1st ed. American Psychological

Association/Oxford University Press, 2004. Roberts, Robert C. Spirituality and Human Emotion. Eerdmans, 1983.

Julie E. Yonker is a professor of psychology and the director of the undergraduate public health program at Calvin University. Her research interests center on the impact of religion on physical and mental health and the importance of community relationships. Her research publications have traversed the lifespan from the prenatal period to older adulthood.