I had a kiddo stay almost 20 minutes over today. Actually, by the time you account for the talking time, really more like 30 minutes.
It started because he was shocked he did so well on his paper and he wanted to know what he did right. I had the misfortune of telling that, in the real world, he probably wouldn’t have done so well. (I gave fairly strong feedback on the rough draft and if the kiddos mostly followed it… I let the lesson of editing be enough and gave solid scores.) But, we still talked his paper.
He’s one of those that’s quite sarcastic in class.
QUITE.
And we all know I enjoy such shenanigans, so it’s not like I shut it down.
Suffice it to say, when he was being serious about talking up his paper, I was a little surprised. Because… I mean… what? You want to do what? Huh?
Obviously, a half hour wasn’t spent on his paper, but on what’s going on right now and learning in the virtual world. It was a little surprising to hear about his perception of what he thinks he’s like as a student in person, because that description is not even remotely one I’d have ascribed to him.
Which… got me thinking. I mean, I KNOW kiddos aren’t the same online as they are in person. I’m rather similar, but more jacked up in person, which is saying quite a bit, because I’m distinctly animated, even online. But, what he described and what he is are FAR apart. Even if we do ever end up back in person, it could be like getting to know ENTIRELY different students. I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job connecting online. Students have reached out for resources on mental and emotional support and like to stay after class to just chat. But, will I need to reconnect in person? Or connect at all? It’s a little disjointing to realize just how different coming back will be. I knew it would be in terms of physical space, but this is a different ballgame.
While I’m entirely confident in my abilities to make it all work; it’s just one more thing to think on and contemplate in terms of changes when things shift again this year.
And at the end of the day. I know I’m reaching these kids. A lot of them at least. Even with this whackadoodle format I’m having to teach in. It’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. But, I think I’m doing really ok.
Because just showing up and talking to them MATTERS. They may or may not remember that I taught them active vs passive voice, but they’ll remember I hung out just to chat.
Yeah. Whatever happens and however it happens… I’ll keep on getting to know them. Because no matter what age they are, we need to remember that they’re human beings first and students somewhere down the list of identifiers.
So… I typed in, “light bulb” on Pixabay and this was one of the options in the first line. Do people really mean garlic bulbs when they type light bulbs? I was so thoroughly amused by this that I decided to share it and let you be amused with me.