I usually try to avoid cliché expressions, but I think this is the best way to describe the experience with my class this week. When I walked in on the first day, I was totally mortified at the make-up of the classroom—crossed arms, rolling eyes, loud sighs, and testosterone (16 of 20 students are male) filled the room as I tried to explain the syllabus and my expectations for the course. I even had a student fall asleep in the back of the room! I went around explaining to all of my colleagues how my class was straight out of the film, Dangerous Minds, where Michelle Pfeiffer teaches inner city kids how to become better students. I was certainly not ready to go back the next time, but I was met with a pleasant surprise upon my return.
I entered my class for the second session only to be astonished by this same group of students seated in a large circle, books and notebooks on their desks, prepared to participate in class. The discussion was fantastic, and the students took the lead for the majority of the period. Their insight and reflections on the readings were truly astounding, and they made connections in the discussion that I had never even thought of. I was so relieved at their participation that I immediately called one of my colleagues to express my joy.
If that wasn’t enough, I had them do a brief freewrite on their passions in life. I initially expected musings on sports, music, and family—the three “cop-out” answers for that question. I soon discovered that not one student had a passion for the same thing, and most of their subjects were surprising: biotechnology, humanities, Irish dance, rap, equestrian studies, and even lacrosse were all mentioned as passions. What a diverse group of minds; I will certainly think twice before I judge a class on the first day.
1 comment:
Ah yes, the experience of having those first impressions of a class set and then quickly broken. I think it's a pretty common occurrence for any English teacher, no matter what the class is about or what the actual make-up of the class consists of. I'm sure you already know this, but I think it's important to mention that, most likely, your perceptions of your students are going to change constantly. It's a lot like the groups I had last year for my 110 classes: on one day, I'd think I've got their collective and individual identities pegged, and on the next they'd surprise me. All I'm saying is that it's great that your initial impressions were invalidated, but don't be surprised if your new impressions turn out to be somehow untrue as well.
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