I've had a cold for a week. Sucks, but life goes on. This morning I woke up with no voice. None. Not even pubescent boy squeaks. If I push I can manage a whisper.
No time to arrange help for the 8 and 9 am sections, so I trudge in expecting it to be a fiasco, and having to end class early when I can't cope anymore.
My students were golden. Respectful, quiet so they could hear, explaining things to each other, patient with me and all the accommodations I tried to make on the fly to get me out of talking.
Magic.
I'm sure they'll be back to being little shits next week, but this morning, when I most needed it, they were awesome.
Apropos of nothing, I love love love your avatar.
ReplyDeletethanks! It's a bumper sticker!
DeleteIf students care, they can do anything. They saw a fellow human being in need, and cared.
ReplyDeleteThey just don't give a crap about anything intellectual.
Almost restores your faith in humanity, huh?
ReplyDeleteEvery few semesters I get a terrible case of laryngitis. For about a week I range from Peter Brady's changing voice to nothing but the occasional, high-pitched muppetlike squeak. And invariably my students are awesome about it. They laugh, but so do I because I DO sound ridiculous, but then they also take responsibility for discussions and class organization, and it almost makes me want to lose my voice more often.
Almost restores your faith in humanity, huh?
ReplyDeleteEvery few semesters I get a terrible case of laryngitis. For about a week I range from Peter Brady's changing voice to nothing but the occasional, high-pitched muppetlike squeak. And invariably my students are awesome about it. They laugh, but so do I because I DO sound ridiculous, but then they also take responsibility for discussions and class organization, and it almost makes me want to lose my voice more often.
It is delightful
ReplyDeletewhen it happens thus.
This has been my experience also. If I were more clever, I would fake it just to have a nice quiet lecture.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed. My experience is that students are more like wolves, which become aggressive whenever they smell fear or weakness, or like sharks, which go into a frenzy when they smell blood in the water.
ReplyDeleteYour charm so strongly works 'em
ReplyDeleteThat if you now beheld them, your affections
Would become tender
- Ariel
I have found this to be a pretty steady reaction. And, don't tell anyone, this is the tactic I use when subbing.
ReplyDeleteI sub from time to time, because it's amazing money if you find the right institution ($140/day? YES PLEASE). But the kids see a sub and they see weakness.
So I give a short whistle, make a motion for them to quiet down and say very quietly "I apologize for my voice, but [name of teacher] has some very important work for you to do today. Can someone help...?"
They are immediately quiet and respectful. When I try to act like a power monster, a big disciplinarian, that's when they start acting out.
So strange, kids.