It's been a long time since I have visited this thread, and in light of how jovial it has become, my response may seem out of place.
Mindfulwhim: Do you solicit students' comments on your colleagues' stuffiness?Or do they volunteer it?
In order to understand this, try to consider who my students are and what they do. They are artists, which means they "feel". The more they feel and understand those feelings, the better they are equipped to communicate them. I want them to feel strongly, and the quality of their work depends upon them feeling comfortable to express themselves..totally. Good artists (poets, writers, filmmakers, painters, muscians, etc.) may be generally considered societal litmus. Scary to some, I admit.
If they have something to express, I not only allow them, I encourage them to express it. We learn about the human condition from a discussion about social issues and our feelings. The answer to your question is: Both.
Are you comfortable being a sounding board for their complaints about their other teachers?
Sure. Sometimes closely examining social dynamics and creating good artisitic work about it means to expand ones comfort zones. I am not afraid, and I encourage students to set their fears aside. Why not allow others to speak of social taboos? This is the academy and the discussion of new or otherwise unspoken ideas should be encouraged. If not examined, discussed or expressed here, then where?
How much time do you allow for their complaints before suggesting that they put their creativity to artistic use in your classroom?
Good question. Sometimes the best thing to do is allow a full discussion of the topic, while at other times it is best to "Save the rage for the page". I will allow the completely subjective nature of the discussion to dictate the best course to take. Some students want to vent, while others are interested in the 'nugget" of the idea. If the topic is of interest to most of the students in the class, I may facilitate a more indepth exploration by designing an assignment around it. If not, then we can move on to the next idea. Of course, each artist may expres their feelings in their work without judgement from me, except in terms of how well they express themselves and communicate their ideas via their medium of choice.
I admit that my approach has been considered radical and perhaps inappropriate by some. I do however, try to stress that we are not doing this to make judgements, but rather observations and personal interpretations of events and ideas. Any judgements are strictly the responsibility of the individual interpreter, and that by owning our personal judgements we may better know ourselves, better understand the world in which we live, and perhaps better know why we feel the way we do.
Consider:
"I do not know myself, and I thank God for it". -Goethe
How did Goethe come to this conclusion? The answer is, Through an exploration of the self. If more people tried to be self aware, perhaps we wouldn't see the passive-aggressive, self interested, and absolutely outrageous behavior patterns in others that makes our social world a nightmare: war, divorce, etc. The list is endless.
