Just another English class with Grade 10.

Wednesday, 11 November 2011, period 7

I want you to look at page 26 in the text I gave out yesterday. Read the top instruction and then discuss with a neighbour what you think it really means. Be ready to tell the class.
Are we going to be doing private reading today?
No, as I just said, I want you to look at page 26 in the text I gave out yesterday. Read the top instruction and then discuss with a neighbour.
Ok…ok. I was just asking.
Good. Read on, then.
I don’t have a pen, Mr. D. Can I lend one?
You don’t actually need one right now because I asked you to read the top instruction and then discuss with a neighbour what you think it really means. Be ready to tell the class. But it makes a lot of sense to bring a pen to a grade 10 English class. And if you need the pen you ‘borrow’ it and if you give it to someone you ‘lend’ it.
But I thought you just said I don’t need one.
Yes, I know. I did. You’re right. I was teaching you the correct terminology for the concept of borrowing and lending.
Duh…oh…right…whatever.
What page are we meant to read, Sir?
Page 26, and ‘Which page?’ is better…(‘Sir’ is good.)
Do we have to answer the question?
No, as I just said, read the top instruction and then discuss with a neighbour what you think it means. Be ready to tell the class.
Mr. D, do we write our answer?
No need because, as I said a few moments ago, you should read the top instruction and then discuss with a neighbour what you think it means. Be ready to tell the class.
Right.
Good.
I don’t have a book, Mr. Darlington.
Why not? I gave them out yesterday in class and you were here and I gave you one.
I didn’t know we would need it today.
But I told everyone to bring it today.
Oh, really? I didn’t hear that. What do I do then?
And I reminded everyone again before I let you out.
Yeah…ok…but what do I do?
What do you suggest?
Like, can I have another copy?
Well, I don’t have a spare except my own and we’re in a ‘like-free zone’, remember?
Yeah. Umm…so…like…I mean like NOT like…I could share with Jemima?
Well, I guess if she agrees, you’ll have to.
What do we do when we’ve finished, Sir?
You’ve finished already? (YOU again?)
Well, no, I just wanted to know.
Ask me again when you’ve finished.
Ok.
Everyone clear what the task is? You have about another 4 minutes.
We’re done already, Mr.D.


The humanities’ department globe fell off last time
“Keep calm. You are trained to deal with this sort of situation. Your experience will see you through. Resist opening your extensive and descriptive oral lexis box. Turn you back on irony and sarcasm. Put anger down. Do not raise your voice as it is intricately connected to your blood pressure and inversely to your image. Avoid slapping the cupboard (the humanities’ department huge globe fell off last time and was only just deflected by Peter’s quick witted karate chop, from Algernon’s head.) Remember there are 16 teenagers in the room and that is far too many hormones firing on all cylinders in a small space for normality to prevail in this universe. Note that it is predominantly boys flinging questions like darts so that reduces the problem by c.50%. Do your maths now and see that fewer that 31.3% recurring of the students have asked a question and only one has asked more than one question (Yes, but he asked four. Ignore! Don’t go there, not now.)”


It’s called adolescence. Remember?
This is actually quite normal for a high school teacher. It is part of the daily challenge (Teachers’ Dictionary = ‘stress’) but we understand the motives. No one is playing up. No one is seeking a laugh at the teacher’s expense. No one wants to delay the start of the class. Everyone who asks a question genuinely seeks clarification because teenagers are herd animals and want to be in the group and do the right thing. They want to do it first, though, especially boys. And Teacher just for the moment has all the answers, and so all the cards, as to what that right thing is.

Why do they not listen the first time?
Adolescence.
Why do they not listen to the answer?
Adolescence.
Why do they forget information so quickly?
Adolescence.
Why do they go off task?
Adolesc…
Don’t they see there is an easier way?
Maybe next time. Maybe not. They are on ‘short recall’.
But why can’t they…?
It’s called adolescence. Remember?