September 15, 2016.
This is about the time in the semester when things start to get interesting. The nerves of the new semester and a new class of students has worn, and they are now focused on planning for the most engaging and interesting lessons as possible. One of the course texts, which I'm considering changing for next semester, is a difficult read for a lot of students. The readability is very high, and it is also a bit dry. It reads a lot like a thick bound research paper. There is an entire chapter for works cited at the end. Additionally, it does have a doom and gloom mood, which is not what I believe is the most effective and impactful way to teach students about sustainability and global responsibility. A new book has been added to the instructor selection list, and I will be reviewing it this week to make the decision.
That being said, right now the text is required and to switch things up and make it a bit more digestible for the students, I borrowed a class assignment from a fellow instructor. This semester, all the students read the first chapter and we discussed it collectively. Then in small groups, they have been assigned a chapter to read with more depth and they are to create a presentation for the class to help generate discussion about the content. Tonight's class was the first night of presentations. Two notable things happened:
Before I get into the happenings, I'd like to note here that I don't force groups on students. I know many students work and live in various places, so I allow them to choose their own groups. I want there to be no outside excuses about why students couldn't make a group project work. Allowing them to work with who they choose typically makes the group dynamic less of a factor. Eventually, as students group up, there are always stragglers. Some fours organically group up, and pairs pair up for fours. In the end, whoever is left usually ends up grouped with whoever was absent that day. The story below is about one of those throw together groups- three guys who chose each other and a girl who was absent from class the day we all grouped up.
First:
Upon entry into the classroom, one of my students approached me with some concerns about her work. She was in one of the groups scheduled to present today and she had little contact with her group over the couple of weeks they were supposed to be preparing. She wasn't sure if any of them would be ready to present, and she had only worked with one of them. She assured me her part was done and was concerned their lack of work would impact her grade. I assured her I had things in place to ensure she got to say her peace and I would learn about the inner workings of the group. There is a group evaluation survey as part of the grade. She felt better and waited to see what would happen with her group.
All three of them showed up but two of them didn't say anything; the third came up to speak with me. He told me he had been sick with a stomach virus and he couldn't get his work done. I asked him if he had a doctor's note. He said no. I asked him if he had been in contact with his group. He said no. I was already feeling very little sympathy for him, and a whole lot for the young lady who came up at the start of class. When I asked if he had spoken with his group, he turned back and looked at the rest of them. At this point, armed with the story from the female student, I asked them all if they were prepared to present. She shook her head yes, the guy at the front with me said no, and one of the other guys said yes. He seemed overconfident and was getting a suspicious look from the his female counterpart. I asked the last of the four sitting as well. He gave me some convoluted story about how he read the wrong chapter so he didn't have the right stuff done.
True or false didn't matter. There's no excuse for a college student to not know what his project was (it's posted online in the course and it was reviewed in class). It was clear this group had failed all aspects of communication. If they had been talking all along, there was no way he wouldn't have realized he was on the wrong chapter. I would have to figure out what to do with the two who obviously were not prepared to present. The others would present and hope for the best. They did great and I felt a lot better. The other two I would deal with after class. I was just blown away by the behavior of these guys. This presentation is worth 10% of their course grade. Not only had they screwed up, but they acted so entitled toward me... like I was a bitch for not accepting the excuses. Really? Not reading the right chapter and not realizing during a three week period with which to work on the presentation, in my opinion is inexcusable. And having the stomach flu? Whether he did or not, remains a mystery. But, he definitely didn't have it for three weeks, and the fact that he never made contact with his group is not acceptable. It's college. Get with the program.
Second:
Despite the above mentioned situation, I was energized by class this night. This is the period in the semester I start to recognize several of the misconceptions I made about my students. I start to recognize first impressions might last, but they are not impenetrable. The course is about four months long, and that's plenty of time to change what I think about them. By week four, some of them have done started to do just that.
Case in point, the student who admittedly is "not very comfortable around nature," has now been on two field trips with little whining. Though he's vocal about his discomfort, it's matter of fact. He isn't complaining as much as explaining, and he's managing to work through it as he's forced to spend time outside. Tonight he gave an outstanding presentation about alternative forms of renewable and sustainable energy. He was one of the few who don't read off slides but actually spoke and he jumped through the creativity of a Prezi. It was clear he understood the reading, and likely did outside reading to further inform his knowledge base. He was really impressed. I had to cut him off because he was so enthusiastic he got long-winded and we almost ran out of time for his partner to do her part. He may have discomfort with being out in nature, but he's still embracing the course content and in his written work is making it very clear he understands the importance of what we're learning. Score!
There are a few others who are beginning to show more of who they are, and I love it! First impressions may be important, but what's more important is that as a teacher I give my students time to show who they really are. The lasting impression is really what matters most.
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