Open Things Up

I have to say that I really enjoyed reading chapter 7. I find that making connections with other instructors has helped me immensely in my own teaching. I did have the privilege of visiting Jonas' classroom, and it really gave me some insight into how a different approach can work. There were a lot of little things that I noted during that visit that I have packed into my teaching toolbox.

Another thing that Boice recommends is telling students about yourself. This is something that I felt very hesitant to do at first. I was worried that if I became too familiar then students would devolve into trying to be my "buddy" and not respecting my authority in regards to grades, deadlines, etc. While I still certainly think that it is a mistake to be too casual or familiar with students, I find that casual talk and talking about myself really helps the classroom.

My students know that I love medieval literature and Tolkien. They know that I like The Office and that I completely obsessed with video games. In almost every class I begin with 2-3 minutes of talk about trivial things. I talk about myself, things I do, things I have read. I ask them what they did over the weekend and what the craziest things are happening in the dorms. I ask them about their other classes. Sometimes I try to work in a joke. During this period students know that they can just talk to me or each other--it is essentially casual time. While it may seem like this wastes what little time I have, I have found that since initiating it, the rest of the class becomes much more productive. The students are relaxed and not afraid to ask questions.

I have found that students really are interested in their instructors. They have asked me what I think about certain books, they laugh at my ancient cellphone and my confusion about Facebook (I play up the backward medievalist trope). They ask me what I did on Thanksgiving break.

I don't think Boice really addresses it, but I do think there is a danger of taking all of this too far. In the end, I don't want to be their buddy, but I do want them to see me as a warm, but strict, mentor. I think that I am successfully negotiating this balance in my classroom, mostly through social intuition I suppose. We shall see what the teacher evaluations say!