The Key is Cooperation

I'm laid-back, easy-going and fun. Those also happen to be the qualities of my favorite childhood teachers. I tell this to my students right off from the beginning.

"I'm here to teach. You're here to learn. If we work together, we can have fun while you learn. If you want, you can try to take advantage of that, by goofing off and not paying attention. Either way, i still get paid. The only one that loses out is you, because you will have left here in the same situation as when you came here. And don't think that you can learn everything in the last week, because if it were possible, that's how the program would be run. So please, for yourself, not for me, pay attention in class."

So far, most of the students I've given that little speech to have paid attention in class and learn a lot. Today, my last class learned the basics of MS Excel in about an hour and a half. They now know how to make a finished spreadsheet for a payroll budget. And they learned because they paid attention. We even made jokes along the way. They had fun while learning.

And to think that when I started here at least three other ("older") instructors told me "don't cut them any slack, Give an inch, they'll take a foot.", "You got to be tough with them.", "If you let them lose respect, they'll run all over you."

"Excuse me, Mr Teacher..."

Seems my "difficult" student has decided to make a change. I didn't have to yell at her, or act preachy, or report her, and I did it "myyyyyyyyyy waaaaaay" (ala Frank Sinatra). All I did was 1) make her aware of her behavior, 2) point out the consequences of not paying attention, and 3) treat her as I would like to be treated. Only took a few days, but I persevered. It wasn't a total 180, but her attitude is much better than it was last week. It's real hard to teach someone when they do their best to dismiss you.

Now I hope this change in attitude sticks. I'd hate to see her go back to being difficult.

The Shrimp

There's this teacher that works with me. I've dubbed him "The Shrimp", not only because of his height, but because of his personality. My view on the other teachers is if they can teach, and the students learn, good. Some people seem to think that there should be some sort of heirarchy, not based on seniority, but on their evaluation of you.

I was asked to work with this certain group of students, alongside The Shrimp. We each had half of the group to work with. I was told that he would give me any assistance I needed. Although he seemed helpful at the beginning, I soon realized that he wasn't really being helpful. He told me that there was no real course outline, or lesson plan, that I "just needed to go over the basics with them." (computer basics, the internet, word and excel) When I asked him what exactly they had to learn, he said "Don't kill yourself, just teach the very basic stuff you teach in the basic classes. Most of these students have never touched a computer and they probably won't retain much anyway." I thought "Poor attitude". All he told me was that I had to test them atthe beginning and at the end of the program to show that they had learned something, "any little improvement would be enough."

After about four weeks, I was going good. I had showed them computer basics, taught them about the internet, we were breezed through Word, and were starting Excel. I patted myself on the back, for doing a good job. The Shrimp then gives me a course outline, THE course outline. When I asked him why he hadn't given it to me earlier, he said he thought he did. BS! Then I started to realize that he either disliked me, or felt threatened by me (I was popular with my students, they bragged to his students that they had learned so much more). I didn't really care, it's not like he's my boss or anything.

I'm friends with a lot of people in our office, and some of them have told me that they've overheard him talking bad about me. "He's never prepared.", "He doesn't know the material as well as he should.", "He makes us look bad.", etc... So instead of confronting The Shrimp, I had decided to keep a mental note of everything people tell me, and just ignore his crap.

Last week, The Shrimp found himself in a bind. he had a scheduling conflict and would have to miss a few classes. He couldn't find anyone to teach those classes, so who does he come to ask to help out? Yep, me. When he asked, I thought about just having it out with him, confront him with all the crap I've heard he's said about me. But then I thought about it, and thought the students would be the only ones to lose out. So I decided to be the bigger man, do a great job and just be the best teacher I could. That if I did a good enough job, someone would realize. "Hard work is it's own reward." Today was the first of classes I'm substituting for him, and the students loved me (at least I hope they did). They told me that I was definitely friendlier and helpful than he was. I hope he finds out, and curses me.

I don't really wish him harm, just that he contract a nice case of oral hemorroids.

When playing "Follow the Leader" the key thing is to follow the leader.

I've noticed that whenever you tell a group of people to follow you as you go step-by-step through something, there's always one (sometimes more) that will skip ahead. Which isn't too bad. The problem is that 97% of the time they'll mess up and ask for help, which you can't answer because you're not at that step yet. What is more amazing is when it's someone who thinks they're smarter than they actually are, and usually ends up asking questions A LOT.

I had this one student who would always, and I do mean always, skip ahead, mess up, and ask a question, out loud.

student: "Excuse me! I don't have that on my screen!"
me: "Oh, you went ahead again."
student: "No I didn't. It just happened. The computer has been acting screwy all day."
me: "No, you went ahead, this screen is part of the next step. See?"
student: "OH! I thought I was doing something else. Sorry."
me: "Try to stay with us."
student: "I was, my computer is acting funny."

------ less than a minute later ------

student: "Wait! I'm lost!"
me: "Click 'previous' on that screen."
student: "that's not it!"
me: "Oh, you went ahead two steps this time, that's why."
student: "I didn't do that."
me: "Ok, just stay with us." (kill me)

Advice: If you skip ahead, shut up and wait. Oh, and shut up.

Have you ever offered something to someone, then ended up wishing you hadn't?

My class came in asking (more like "telling") me if I was letting them go early ("Like in ten minutes!") to avoid the thunderstorm. I told them we have a lesson to do, and that takes priority. They moaned, and hemmed, and complained, so I offered them an alternative, "The lesson should take 45-60 minutes. If we all work together, and everyone pays attention, when we all (keyword here "all") finish the lesson, we can leave." I consented because there are more pregnant women in this group than in the others, and I imagined then tripping and falling in the thunderstorm. They were ready to go, People even got off the internet. I was surprised.

There were a few problems here and there, someone's computer froze, another forgot to copy a file, etc.. But we were marching along. Thirty-five minutes into the lesson, a few of them start to "just mention" how were getting close to "the forty-five minute deadline". I know, when did it become a "deadline"? So I reminded them that we ALL had to finish. Someone said "I can't believe this! Why do I have to stay late? If I'm done, I should be able to go." This was one of the first people in class to have a problem with her computer. She also complained about how I wasn't fixing it fast enough. Anyway, someone printed a bunch of copies, so we ran out of paper. And some complained about how they had to "wait so long" for me to find some more. In the end, they left after sixty-five minutes (of a two hour class), complaining how I "went into overtime". Give an inch, they take a foot. Give a foot, they take your whole friggin leg! You just can't be nice to some people.

Next time, I don't care if it's the Apocalypse, they're staying until the end of class. No mercy.

When someone is offering you a hand, take it.

One of my students told me that she had didn't have her assignment to hand in, because she left it at home. So I told her that I had to submit it today, and suggested that she re-write it quickly in order to get credit for it. So she starts to complain about having to do "double work", how I'm "unreasonable" and asked why she should have to do it over again. So I suspected that she hadn't done it in the first place, and asked her to tell me a little about what she did. She didn't even have a good story, and it kept changing. So I told her that my hands are tied, and I have to have something to submit. She then proceeds to "ask" me "So why don't you stick up for us? Why are you just leaving us blowing in the wind?" First, I don't know who this "us" is that she was talking about, she was the only one without her assignment. Second, what makes her think I should (or would) stick up for her when for the last two classes, all she's done is be difficult in class? So, now I'm offering her a chance to do the work she hasn't done, and she not only doesn't want to do it, she wants me to "stick up" for her. Sometimes all I can say is "WOW!"

It's funny how the mind works.

Once I was teaching computer basics (use a mouse, parts of a computer, use Windows, etc..), and I told the students to move their mouse up and to watch the pointer move. I heard someone say "It's not moving!" When I looked over, she had the mouse in the air, lifting it. I held back a giggle, then said, "No, forward." She leaned forward in her chair, mouse still in the air.

Funny thing is, that's happened a few times over the years.

Today my head almost exploded.

It's so hard to teach a class when someone decides to be difficult. Doubly so, when that student gets a sidekick. I was trying to do today's lesson, which was going over some material that the class didn't quite get the day before. Plus a few students were absent the day before. So this was really for their benefit, not mine.

The student (the one in my previous post) decided to ask a bunch of questions, not questions to understand something, just questions. And by the time I was halfway to her desk, she'd have already answered her own question. "What did you say? Nevermind." "Where is that? Forget it, I see it." "Say that again! Forget it, I heard you." "Where? Oh, I found it." "I don't see that! Oh, I was looking at the wrong place." "Speak up!" "That's not what it says on my screen! Oh, yes it does." "What did you say? I wasn't paying attention."

Now throw in her sidekick, who can never follow what we're doing in class and is always laughing and making bizarre little jokes. Her: "Come here and show me that." Me: "Okay, just give me a sec." Her: "HA! You buggin'! One second! HA HA HA HA! You funny, Teacher! You crack me up." Yes.. just like that. Plus, when class is over, they're two of the first ones racing to leave.

I'm trying to see if I can get them to settle down before making a big stink, reporting it to the office, but there are times when they really disrupt the class. Between them and other legitimate questions being asked in the class, I couldn't finish the lesson. It took more than an hour and fifteen minutes to get as far as we did. I did the exact same lesson with the next class, and we were done in about thirty minutes.

If they don't learn to settle down, I'm going to have to report them. I'd rather not because in the end they don't learn anything, but I can't let the rest of the class suffer for their issues.

It's really pleasing to see one of your students really learning and asking questions.

I have one student who comes in everyday and she asks questions. She sincerely wants to learn, not to just know, but to better herself. She wants to get a decent job, so she not only comes to learn, but she also tries to comport herself in a professional manner.

Students like these make the teaching experience fell "nice", but they're not the ones that make you feel fulfilled. It's the students who think they can't learn, or that they're wasting time, that really challenge you. Getting one of these students to "see", to understand the material, that's what makes you feel like a teacher. That's when you understand why people become teachers for crappy pay.

Today was a frustrating one. I was teaching a class of students in a public assistance program. It's pretty nice, they get carfare and daycare paid for as long as they attend classes, in order to be better prepared to find a job.

I gave the students an assignment to do on friday, and hand in on monday. They have no classes on friday, but they still have to go out and do an assignment. I tried to make it something that was simple and they could do in a short while (maybe 30 minutes) and they complained, that's okay, no likes to work on their day off, I completely agree. But I have to give them an assignment, or they don't get credit for that day.

So one student wanted me to stop the class so that I could help her to do the assignment right there and then. Even as I was trying to explain what the assignment was, she kept saying that A) she couldn't do it, B) that she didn't understand it, C) why wasn't I helping her do it, and D) why do I have to give them work to do on their day off. Now, keep in mind that they have to go out, because they are still getting their daycare paid for. I told her that I'd help her after we finished the day's lesson. Her reply: "No, I don't think so! Then we'll be on MY time, and I ain't wasting MY time sitting in no classroom!"

I explained that I had to do the lesson, and somehow managed to calm her down. But afterwards, I helped her do the majority of the assignment, and she was still upset! "Why couldn't you just do that in the first place? And you still didn't help me finish! Now I gotta go home and write this shit up!"

Somedays, I just want to scream.

At the suggestion of a friend (don't they all start like that?), I decided to start a blog of some of my experiences as a computer teacher in New York City.

This isn't meant to make fun of anyone, just to share my experiences with whoever reads this.

Every now and then, I'll be posting some stories about previous experiences (to fill in some of the blanks).