The Facebook Student

Today, a conversation started up between a few teachers and myself, although I did more listening then actually talking.  The topic was, on the surface, seemingly a venting episode of just things that students do that bother teachers, but as it continued, it progressively became more thought provoking.

A teacher was noting that his students have this skewed view of how a teacher's job is to be social and emotional support of the students.  It's not.  It's a hopeful byproduct, but that's not a teacher's 'job' description any more than a surgeon's job description is to help the psychological recovery of his patient.  Might he incidentally?  ....I guess.  But that's not his job.

A teacher is supposed to (1) teach you the material you need to know, (2) help you learn how to gather information and use it, and (3) ensure that you are learning and held accountable for the material you learned.  That's it.  They're not there to help you with your mother's boyfriend's sister's divorce.  They're not there to listen to all the commentary you feel is necessary to share during the instructional period.  And they're not there to be the bad guy.  They are there so that you have a place to go to learn the material and to be of use as a reference highly qualified in that specific subject area.

Now, how on earth does that relate to the "Facebook Student".  That's what I was thinking when the conversation started, because thus far, I hadn't heard anything that fell under that heading.  That was when the teacher talking said, "I had to explain to my students today that 'It is not my job, nor anyone else's job, to care about your opinion.  Your boss will not care.  Random people you meet will not care.  The general population does not care what you think.  They just need to you DO.'"  In his years of teaching, he was noting that he feels the progression and access of Facebook into the more mainstream and younger generations has caused young people to believe that everyone wants to know what they're thinking, all the time.  The instant access to Facebook now, also, via phone, has just enhanced that issue.  He feels that his students feel like they can interject into everything (even into conversations clearly not involving them) so much so that he has adopted "Facebook language" into his conversations.  These include,  "This was a private message.  You cannot like it.  You cannot comment.  It was private between me at _______."  "You may not like or share this test with another student."

If you do not work with students (or young people in general), you may not understand the value of what was said.  If you do, though, start taking notice of if the Facebook Student has integrated itself into their interactions.

When Dreams Come True

Did you ever have that eerie sense of déjà vu, like you'd seen or experienced something before and now you are again in that same moment?  It's almost out-of-body - like you're watching something happen and you're trapped inside yourself knowing exactly what is coming next.  It's not necessarily like you know the way the whole scene plays out, but you definitely know that moment!   

Anyway - I've found it to happen often enough that it makes me wonder which dream is going to show up next!  It's like you're going along and "bam!" you freeze, a chill runs up your spine, and you shiver!  Weird!  It happened once in my first job:  I'd dreamt of the space where I'd work, down to the layout of the room and color of the carpet!  When I walked into my job for the first time it was like a wave of dizziness hit! I'd been there before!  Another time was with another job moment between colleagues around me, and the most recent was at a family party.  We were passing the salad and "wham-o!" dizzying déjà vu. 

Now, if only we could make it happen for the lottery.... :-)

When the Mood Strikes

Do you ever find yourself having a brilliant idea one moment, and forgetting it later when you really meant to use it?  I feel like that's been my whole week: I'd be driving somewhere and think, "Oh! That's a great topic!" and come home having (a) completely forgotten I even wanted to write and (b) when I came to remembering, forgetting that "brilliant" idea I had possessed x-amount-of-time-ago.  Grr!!

And this applies to everything!  Grocery store shopping, night time thoughts about your to-do list the next morning, conversation triggers that you then forget the moment you say "good-bye,"  or even just emails and texts to which you intended on responding to after ____ was over, and then Boom!  Whoops!  Forgot!!

*Sigh*  So.  Here is to all the "What was that thing I was going to do?"s and the "drawing a blanks" that we all face at some point during our day / week / or just life in general.  Maybe next time I'll bring a mini paper and pen with me!  Sometimes I forget to check the "notes" section of my phone!

Spicy Spicy!

Tonight a few of us ventured over to Wicker Park's Handlebar restaurant on North Avenue.  It's vegan friendly and serves fish and cheese for the vegetarian friendly food goers as well!  It's a cute, tiny, and unassuming little restaurant with a lot of personality.  It's "dive" feeling, and clearly makes the point that the food is the focus (much like The Chicago Diner).  And as it should be, because the food is fantastic!  But, it must be warned, it is SPICY!

I had the Sambal Tofu entree, and wowza!  My tongue was on fire!  Whatever spices were in that puppy turned the spicy nob WAY way up!  The Po' Boy sandwich was also spicy and the sauce for the fried avocado tacos echoed the same tune.  Delicious food, but not for the so-so tongue. 

The prices are great, the portions are fantastic, and the food is amazing.  Overall, a definite "must".  (Especially for Breakfast!)