The "bear" sitting in the middle of the classroom, on the seminar table, or prowling around the edges of a discussion group arises from the subtext that is created whenever teachers and students interact with a curriculum, lesson, or topic. The situation in the postmodern classroom has been destabilized by the unprecedented intrusion into the school environment of societal issues that are increasingly complex and often contradictory. Teachers are no longer voices of unquestioned authority in student lives. There is the recognition on both sides of the education equation that the teacher/student relationship has become polarized and politicized. This paper examines the two sides of the equation: learner and teacher. Each section of the paper is centered on a particular text that illustrates some of the issues pertinent to the topic. The paper begins by defining the "postmodern" student, then examines the perspectives of both these students and their teachers. It continues with a discussion of ways in which the postmodern student might be taught, and concludes with thoughts relating to teacher education, and steps towards a new vision of schools and education. (Contains 29 references.) (ND)