Teaching - Week 2 Recap
You would think that after a great week 1, things would get easier during week 2. Ha!
It started off well enough with finding a cell phone on the front desk at the beginning of class (from the culprit of week 1), which had me in stitches. They seemed to like the youtube clip on time management, and we had a great class discussion. But throughout the class the chatter became louder and louder, to where I couldn't hear students participating in class, and to where I eventually said "you will not talk over me when I am talking." Damn.
My PAL was sick all week, so I felt ally-less. I left the class exasperated, only to run into award-winning ECO professor Dr. Sheran-Andrews. "How are you?" she asked. "How do you do this for a living?" I exclaimed. She laughed and said, "You're teaching BUS 105? Kick'em out. You're just going to have to make an example out of someone." - "But I don't want them think I'm like this bitch-woman." - "You know, two people will think that. I still get anonymous e-mails saying thank you for making people leave. Be mean!" I said thanks and walked on. "BE MEAN," she shouted after me in the hallway.
So, then I checked with Tuisha, one of my favorite colleagues and she said "four troublemakers? put them at the four corners of the room! Are you right-handed? Put the worst one in the back right corner. You won't even see him." Fantastic!
Armed with my new plan I walked in to teach on Wednesday (still ally-less). It would be a slightly shortened class, so we could go to the Study Abroad Expo, but I did have to lay down the law one more time. I asked the 4 musketeers to spread out, and one asked, "would you like me to turn around and look into the corner, too?" - "No, I prefer you look at me when I teach," I said coolly. Whatever. There was no way this would go over like ice cream, but I felt it had to be done.
I had to give three zeros for late/non-existent/non-plagiarist statement assignments. One student fought it. I held strong. During class, one girl rolled her eyes, and there was more chatter (but not as loud as before). And today, I actually had someone turn in their 2nd assignment early, and it was freaking awesome! How you keep in touch with world events - a video to David Bowie and Queens "Under Pressure."
And I am a happy teacher once again :)
It started off well enough with finding a cell phone on the front desk at the beginning of class (from the culprit of week 1), which had me in stitches. They seemed to like the youtube clip on time management, and we had a great class discussion. But throughout the class the chatter became louder and louder, to where I couldn't hear students participating in class, and to where I eventually said "you will not talk over me when I am talking." Damn.
My PAL was sick all week, so I felt ally-less. I left the class exasperated, only to run into award-winning ECO professor Dr. Sheran-Andrews. "How are you?" she asked. "How do you do this for a living?" I exclaimed. She laughed and said, "You're teaching BUS 105? Kick'em out. You're just going to have to make an example out of someone." - "But I don't want them think I'm like this bitch-woman." - "You know, two people will think that. I still get anonymous e-mails saying thank you for making people leave. Be mean!" I said thanks and walked on. "BE MEAN," she shouted after me in the hallway.
So, then I checked with Tuisha, one of my favorite colleagues and she said "four troublemakers? put them at the four corners of the room! Are you right-handed? Put the worst one in the back right corner. You won't even see him." Fantastic!
Armed with my new plan I walked in to teach on Wednesday (still ally-less). It would be a slightly shortened class, so we could go to the Study Abroad Expo, but I did have to lay down the law one more time. I asked the 4 musketeers to spread out, and one asked, "would you like me to turn around and look into the corner, too?" - "No, I prefer you look at me when I teach," I said coolly. Whatever. There was no way this would go over like ice cream, but I felt it had to be done.
I had to give three zeros for late/non-existent/non-plagiarist statement assignments. One student fought it. I held strong. During class, one girl rolled her eyes, and there was more chatter (but not as loud as before). And today, I actually had someone turn in their 2nd assignment early, and it was freaking awesome! How you keep in touch with world events - a video to David Bowie and Queens "Under Pressure."
And I am a happy teacher once again :)
I'm so glad you held fast on this one, Heidi. I had a class last semester in which the professor did NOT require the attention of his students. There was talking all through the lecture and I could barely hear! For all the geeky students who are actually in school to learn - I thank you!
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