I'm trying something new this term. I'm starting off the term by trying to be stern and strict. I'm being "grumpy" and "hard". I get to be a bad ass. It will probably last a week in terms of temperment, but by then the students will have already established a pattern of thinking. So, I stormed into syllabus day, guns blaring.
This is all the result of the fact that I've changed a lot of the policies on my syllabus and I'm glad for it. I've included detailed breakdowns of how they will be scored, of what their assignments will be (I even included a section on printing and stapling). It may seem nitpicky and off subject, but it is something I've been building to for a while now. The change finally solidified in my thoughts on Sunday night.
After arriving late to a Christmas party, I encountered an old friend, DM, who is also an educator and has some experience/knowledge of my other profession...bartending. In shooting the breeze at the Hitching Post bar in Oregon City, we stumbled across a subject that has been percolating in the back of my mind...expectation.
My favorite bar job was working for the Wild Hare in Canby of which DM is completely familiar. Under the guidance of Joan, the owner, and Erica, the manager, I always knew what was expected of me. I always knew what I needed to do in order to do a good job and I always knew what would lead to getting me fired. It was cut and dry, easy to understand, and, most importantly, talked about openly. There was never a day where I didn't understand what I was doing there, what I should be doing, what they wanted me to do. I loved it. There was no gray area. There was no real guess work.
DM and I talked about this for quite a while that night. We sat and sipped our beers and talked about accountability, about expectations, about performance, about evaluation, and how to get the best out of our students. I think one of the most important steps to complete in order to get the results we want is to TELL students what we want. I tried to do that in minute detail yesterday.
Syllabus day is normally a breeze. I show them the schedule, read them a writing sample, have them write out an introduction survey, and send them on their way. Yesterday was different. As I began telling them all of the nitpicky little things that were expected of them, I found myself explaining my educational philosophy to them. I told them about how I saw writing as a key to employment, successful long-term employment. I told them that I prefer stories to essays and many other things that, if they were listening, will enable them to achieve the level of success they want in my class.
All of this because I used to sling drinks at my local bar and learned how to work with expectations. It's amazing how connected this world is. Everything informs everything else.
No comments:
Post a Comment