My First Class

The first meeting of my first class has been planned.

In the perfect world, I will be a college professor of Literature at a Christian (maybe) Liberal Arts university (after working with the Peace Corps for ten years, studying in Scotland, and planting a garden). I have received much encouragement from my peers. Today a friend said, "I want to attend your first class, Liberty! You would be such a cool professor." My friend should probably attend a class about six years into my teaching career, if she wants to see the "cool," since I'll be nervous for the first 5 if not all.

Anyway, I told my friends that I don't like talking to groups, so we set up my teaching style . . .

On the first day of my first class, if not all of them, I will begin as punctually as I can. First, I will pass around a sheet headed, "Attendance," with spaces for them to sign their name. Then, I will hand out the syllabus. After that, write on the board my title and what they should call me ("Berty," probably) to get my attention. Write my office location and office hours and "Always Welcome." Write, "Read the Syllabus, thoroughly" and "Read [first assignment], thoroughly." Then leave (probably trying not to smile for the shear joy of being a rebel or my student's discomfort). Really, the way my classes are set up, words on the first day of class are useless.

All this is assuming I wrote my syllabus well and the school I work for does not ban silence. But, I did say it is the perfect world, meaning I am able to perform my job as perfectly as I desire.

Of course, there are those students nervous enough to talk and ask questions before class even starts. Or the students confused about room location who end up in the wrong place. I'll talk to them, as quietly and briefly as I can.

Sometimes the first day should be a "Get to know everyone" day. I don't think I like that. People do not really present themselves honestly without really good questions and a high level of comfort. My hope is that I will come to know my students, and they each other, as the class progresses, as we read and write about stories, poems, and drama and their connections to our culture and selves.

Sounds nice, doesn't it? (Remind me to read this blog when I become a professor, so I can drop all the standards I was taught by Academia.)