Dancing

Great day at work.

We have trimesters, three terms to the year. Today was the first day of the third trimester.

Today was my third first day of school this year.

(Take your time... think it over... Yup! Makes sense. Sounds wrong.)

Starched my white shirt, did the “dab of Brill Cream” thing, red tie.

I straightened the room thoroughly yesterday, sweeping away the remnants of projects just finished in time for trimester two.

At the beginning of each period I had the lights down a little, Bach playing through the speakers, a projector throwing a hypnotizing pattern on the screen.

No one got past me without shaking my hand and formally introducing themselves. Some tried. But none got past me without a few words and a hand to hand.

Some I had to teach to shake.

"Shake hands palm to palm, one doesn’t shake fingers."

"Look at the person you are talking to and not somewhere else. This is your chance to make an impression, so smile to someone you meet."

"Focus on what you are doing."

"Say your first and last name."

I sized them up quickly and assigned them seats. The ones who had a look of surprise that I was assigning where they sat caught my attention. They have tiny agendas of their own.

I began.

It is a sort of dance sometimes. Teaching...

I get their attention, focus them, on me, on the class. I walk them through how the lab runs, what we will do this term, my rules, what is allowed...

When the dance is going well I spot the restless ones trying to make contact with a friend, and I hear the whispers. Most telling... the one who makes a joke to get a laugh out of the class.

I dance smoothly over. Quickly, no fuss, the student is swept into the hall. It is clear, this wasn’t the time.

This first day was smooth. When their faces showed traces of distraction or fading off, I caught their attention moving things in the direction I wanted it to go.

There where with light bulbs. Those moments when a student suddenly understands something never understood before.

I’ve heard some say: “Those who can’t, teach.”

They don’t get it.

Teaching isn’t about content. It is about moving content.

Anyone can learn about anything they put their mind to. Especially if they have a natural interest or tendency... math, history, writing...

The task is to move that content into the minds and hearts of others. That is teaching.

It is about group dynamics, and individual perspectives, and about the best way to deliver content in a dance which keeps a class together and letting me do the leading.

Today the dance went well.

This first day is about setting tone. It’s about forming the idea in my twelve to fourteen year olds that Mr. G is in control and has a plan.