When I entered the classroom today, one of my students raised his hand and asked: "Are you a student?" I kinda looked down at my clothes (sneakers, 3/4-length pants, ratty t-shirt, and fleece vest), laughed, and said, yes, I'm a fifth year PhD student. They started laughing and said things like, oh, we didn't think you were a student, we thought you were a professor.
Most freshmen students will call their grad student instructors "professor" because they can't tell the difference, and it's nice when that happens. :) That means I'm doing something right!
I usually don't have disciplinary problems in the classroom, so I'm quite happy to be more or less informal with them. But right after that conversation, they were still chatting when I wanted to start class, so I grabbed my library book and slammed it on the table really, really hard. That got their attention alright. :):)
Wow, Z! Way to be authoritative!
ReplyDeleteDon't feel bad about your youthful looks- I've been confused for my HIGH SCHOOL students! I kinda like it ; )
cool ... especially with the fashion sense. And what a way to assert your feminity!
ReplyDeleteactually when do we stop being "students" huh?
hahaha . . . actually, they must've thought me older than i am, because they confused me for a PROFESSOR . . . few ppl get to be profs at 28.:):)
ReplyDeletekinda regretted slamming the book on the table though. did it because i liked the thought of slamming a book on the table (yeah!!), but there are other ways of getting students attention. other more elegant ways, definitely. hahahah . . . but it's okay, we're all learning . . . :)
Sometimes silence works, too... with a cool, steely gaze at the more chatty ones. Raise one eyebrow when the offender finally look at you, then begin. Also very dramatic!
ReplyDeleteThank God for the library and free books.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't care to slam any of my own books, paid for with hard-earned moolah!