Friday, March 9, 2007
I made a student cry
...because she was laughing so hard.
Whew! That was a close one! Thought for a minute I was one of my fellow TAs who, last semester, told a student after the diagnostic essay there was no way she'd pass his class. She cried on the spot, and lo and behold she NC'd the class. She's in my section now. So far, she's earned a B. I would like to smack my fellow TA very, very hard. Helllooo? Ever hear of "self-fulfilling prophecy"? Jackass.
Anyway.
They wrote their "process" essays and on the day they were due I said that anyone who wanted to stand up and summarize/present their essays for extra participation points could do so. One of my students is a funny/fun girl who takes a lot of good-natured ribbing from me as well as the rest of the class because she's a blurter. Suffice to say that she summarized her essay and in doing so she...let's just say "misinterpreted" some aspects of the religious ceremony she was discussing (she picked it, as part of the "talk about a family tradition" option). Let's also just say that several other students in the class also practice this particular religion, a tad more seriously than this particular student. And they let her know it, in a good-natured way.
For instance: "Dude! It's from the ancient Sanskrit! It's not just 'sounds'"
I think you had to be there. It was pretty funny.
I was sitting in the back while listening to the presentations, and all I could see was this girl in her seat, wiping away tears and I said "oh shit! are you crying?" and she said "yes!" and I said "oh shit" (in my head this time) and then she turned around and we all saw it was because she was laughing so hard.
thank. dog.
Whew! That was a close one! Thought for a minute I was one of my fellow TAs who, last semester, told a student after the diagnostic essay there was no way she'd pass his class. She cried on the spot, and lo and behold she NC'd the class. She's in my section now. So far, she's earned a B. I would like to smack my fellow TA very, very hard. Helllooo? Ever hear of "self-fulfilling prophecy"? Jackass.
Anyway.
They wrote their "process" essays and on the day they were due I said that anyone who wanted to stand up and summarize/present their essays for extra participation points could do so. One of my students is a funny/fun girl who takes a lot of good-natured ribbing from me as well as the rest of the class because she's a blurter. Suffice to say that she summarized her essay and in doing so she...let's just say "misinterpreted" some aspects of the religious ceremony she was discussing (she picked it, as part of the "talk about a family tradition" option). Let's also just say that several other students in the class also practice this particular religion, a tad more seriously than this particular student. And they let her know it, in a good-natured way.
For instance: "Dude! It's from the ancient Sanskrit! It's not just 'sounds'"
I think you had to be there. It was pretty funny.
I was sitting in the back while listening to the presentations, and all I could see was this girl in her seat, wiping away tears and I said "oh shit! are you crying?" and she said "yes!" and I said "oh shit" (in my head this time) and then she turned around and we all saw it was because she was laughing so hard.
thank. dog.
Labels: teacher-like