Picture Courtesy of Wikimedia-Commons User Túrelio, Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0-de
My first week back for lectures went well. Every class was full and everyone showed up the first day. I am positive that’s a record, I mean everyone showing up the first day? I’ve never heard or seen of such a thing. Usually the third week about 10 people mosey on in & explain they weren’t there for the first 2 weeks because, well, they weren’t there. No real explanation given, no “I was in a ditch on the side of road unable to get to your class. I swear this class means more than my life.” Which I know is true I mean how could a college course not mean more than your life? As if your life, family, & friends are more important than knowing the differences between Durkheim, Marx & Weber. It’s practical insanity to think those theorists aren’t more important than your Mom.
Another amazing feat of my first week was that I saved a student’s life or at least his vision, hearing & ability to walk. On the first day I explain the differences between Incompletes, Withdrawing & Dropping the course. I let the students know “If you just don’t like me, if listening to me speak, seeing me ever again, or being around me makes you want to jab pencils in your eyes & ears while you jump out a first floor window (which is more dangerous than it sounds, you can really hurt your ankle doing that) then you should drop the class.” Reason being students get their money back & won’t fail the course. Money matters.
However, when a student in one of the classes actually got up & walked across the room, crossing the entire room in front of everyone upon hearing my words, I knew I had saved my student. Just think if I hadn’t made that off-handed comment he might have really jabbed pencils in his eyes & ears while jumping out a first floor window. BUT MY WORDS SAVED HIM. It’s almost like I’m the Mother Teresa of Academia.
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