Nott What You'd Expected...

The Universal Language.... of silence.

So, sitting in class today, I became very aware of a universal truth. Not many people can say that, so I'll preface it by saying that no, it's not as profound as it sounds, and yes, the second I thought of it, I imagined how I could possibly blog about it.

I digress.

So there we were- me, floundering in a sea of British students, discussing the merits of 24, LOST, Televisual style- you know, typical TV Cultures BS, when our prof did the unthinkable.... he asked a question. For a highschooler, this is old hat- teachers are supposed to do that. Hell, even at Luther a prof would be considered an ass if he didn't fraternize with the students at some point. But here? This is the big time. This is 30,000 students on campus. This is another country.

And then the world shrank. It was like I was back home, in 10th grade, sitting in Mrs T's AP European History class and she had just asked about the economic implications of the 100 years war (which, to be fair was not 100 years long, and we were too engrossed with the makings of a Swedish Cocktail). A hush fell over the room. You know the hush. Anyone who has ever taken a class anywhere knows 'the hush'. This wasn't 'pins drop' quiet, this was the quiet that is so quiet your ears hurt, start to ring with the guilt that For Gods Sakes Someone Say Anything. The kind of quiet where you forget the question, and for some reason wonder if you can speak at all.
It was almost beautiful. No matter where you study in the world, students will still pull the 'if you don't make eye contact, you're invisible' routine. In some ways, it makes me love education- the art of being a student. Almost 16 years of education, and you start to hone these skills. How to avoid answering questions, how to - on the day of review- ask about the length of the test and whether it's multiple choice or not rather than asking about the actual information on the test. It's priceless.

But, deep inside, I fear the silence. I know that one day, one day soon, I'll be up in front of my high schoolers and the silence will hit. Eyes dart around the room, avoiding my knowing glare. But I've been there. I lived there. Shit, I can claim citizenship in the land of avoiding eye contact and playing the 'I won't talk until you talk' game. Thus sets up the greatest standoff in the history of education.

Me vs. future students.



It's on.

posted by Kevin @ 1:32 PM