First Week

Just two classes this week. What a life, huh? Almost as little work as a university professor. One class meets T Th, the other MW, each for one and a quarter hours. Classes around the campus are packed. Hard times are good times for community colleges. I think enrollment is up 20%.

The first week is always interesting because I present myself as, well, something of a goofball. After I take role and cast out the overflow of the wait list, I have them play a game I call "toss." The rules for toss are 1. Toss the object over the head of at least one other student. 2. Don't let the object hit the floor. The four objects are two white, squeaky dog balls, a koosh ball, and a stuffed cat. Usually the students start laughing as the objects fly around the room. Then, after I collect the four things, I tell them, "I have you play this game for a reason. It amuses me." They laugh. "But there's also a good pedagogical reason. I think that the skills and attitudes you need to succeed at Toss are similar to the skills and attitudes you need as a public speaker." And then I have them brainstorm. Oh, you know. Eye contact. Body language. Awareness. Verbal skills.

Classes are always so different from each other, even when the subject matter is the same. My MW class was so quiet. They had some good ideas but not many people seemed willing to share. My T Th class is a bit more talkative. It may be because the MW class is at 8:50 and the TTh class at 12:45.

Not all my goofiness is intentional, sadly enough. In my MW class I got confused about the time on Wednesday and started at 8:45 instead of 8:50. Fortunately one young man called my attention to my error. Thank goodness for students who speak up. And today, in the TTh class as one of the young women students walked out at the end of class she told me I had something white on my cheek. Great! She rubbed it off and I rubbed at it. It was some of my face cream that no one else had bothered to notice. Sigh. Reminded me of the time I spent a half hour lecturing in a movie class and then one student took a break and as she walked past me she turned away from the class and said, "Your fly is unzipped." Such minor embarrassments help me keep my humanity, or so I tell myself.

But, as I look at the interesting mix of students, I have to agree with the VPI (vice president of instruction): "It's going to be the best year ever!"